Carolyn C. Johnson, PhD¹, Sujuan Huang, MSPH¹, Leann Myers, PhD², Larry Webber, PhD², Dixye Brewer, MA¹, and Kiana Andrew, MPH¹. (1) Community Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St., 23rd Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112, 504-585-4068, cjohnso5@tulane.edu, (2) Department of Biostatistics, Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St., 20th Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112

The ACTT program includes a 3-year intervention (grades 10-12) with a randomized controlled cohort in 20 south central Louisiana high schools. At 9th grade baseline prior to randomization (n=4673 students), 30-day prevalence of cigarette smoking was 25.1%. With the school as the unit of analysis, prevalence for intervention vs control schools was: 9th grade (baseline) 23% vs 26.7% (p=0.16), 10th grade (one intervention year) 21.8% vs 31% (p=0.01), and 11th grade 23.7% vs 30.8% (p=0.08) (two intervention years). The differential in prevalence between intervention and control from 9th to 10th grade was 5.5% and from 9th to 11th grade was 3.4%. No differences in prevalence for white students between intervention and control schools were found nor were there any differences in prevalence for black students between intervention and control. Significant differences in prevalence between black and white students existed in both intervention and control schools. Intervention activities were: a media campaign; observance of the Great American Smoke Out and Kick Butts Day; hallway activities (to which the entire school was exposed); pig lung and Mr. Grossmouth demonstrations; interactive knowledge games for prizes; a psychodrama contest; and a student advocacy campaign for the repeal of Louisiana tobacco pre-emption laws. The intervention did not use classroom or teacher time, and the activities can be adopted by schools with a minimum of expense and effort. The positive trends shown by the prevalence data support a school environmental approach with full school exposure.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, the participant will be able to

• describe a high school environmental tobacco control program
• identify the advantages of environmental vs classroom programs
• evaluate a tobacco control program using the school as the unit of analysis

Keywords: Adolescents, Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.