Peer Supporters Might Prevent Onset of Smoking in Eighth-Graders

Many schools have programs to discourage students from smoking, but evidence for their effectiveness is inconsistent. Investigators in the U.K. evaluated an innovative program in which peer supporters were trained to use informal social networks (rather than formal classroom presentations) to discourage students from smoking.

The peer-support program was implemented in 30 schools chosen randomly from 59 preselected schools; the remaining schools continued usual smoking education programs. In intervention schools, the 15% of eighth-grade students who were most respected and admired (according to surveys of all students) learned about the benefits of not smoking and the development of communication skills during a 2-day training session. For t…