Recent research demonstrated the effectiveness of a tobacco and vaping prevention program for fifth-grade students. The updated Click City: Tobacco program, targeting both vaping and smoking, significantly decreased fifth-grade students’ intentions and willingness to both vape and smoke in the future. Developed by Judy Andrews, Ph.D., Senior Scientist at Influents Innovations in Springfield, OR, and her colleagues, Click City: Tobacco is an online, digital curriculum that includes science-based activities and interactive game-based learning to engage students in the program. Click City: Tobacco is one of the first school-based tobacco and vaping prevention programs shown to be effective in two studies using rigorous experimental designs and reproducible methods. These findings are published online in Nicotine and Tobacco Research.
In response to a large increase in vaping by youth over the past decade, Andrews and her colleagues updated the original, evidence-based Click City: Tobacco program to include vaping prevention. A recent randomized control trial, conducted in 43 schools in Arizona and Oregon, found that Click City: Tobacco was effective for all students, but was most effective for students at risk for using tobacco or vaping. Click City: Tobacco addresses multiple risk factors predictive of future tobacco use and vaping. For example, elementary school students who believe vaping or smoking makes someone “cool” or “popular” are more likely to vape or smoke in the future. Click City: Tobacco successfully targets these social norms, increasing students’ negative attitudes towards tobacco and vaping as a result of completing the program. Students also learn about the physical consequences of tobacco and vaping, and the physical and psychological effects of addiction, including loss of control.
“We designed the program to be implemented in the 5th or 6th grade, prior to early use of tobacco or vaping. It is extremely important to intervene early, as the earlier a child begins using nicotine, the more likely it is that they will become addicted for life. Early intervention is crucial,” noted Andrews.
To test the effectiveness of the program, Click City: Tobacco was implemented in ‘real world’ settings where school personnel in classrooms, rather than researchers, implemented the program. Ninety percent of students completed the entire program and teachers reported being highly satisfied with Click City: Tobacco. These findings suggest that the program can be readily implemented in schools, with little teacher training, to potentially prevent the onset of tobacco and e-cigarette use. The program, Click City: Tobacco, is available from Influents Innovations.
Established in December 2013, Influents Innovations (formerly known as Oregon Research Behavioral Intervention Strategies, Inc.) is a C corporation specializing in the invention, development and commercialization of evidence-based products and services for the health care, social services, and education markets.
