Task Force Recommends Interventions to Prevent Tobacco Use in Children
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) today released its final recommendation statement on primary care interventions to prevent tobacco use in children and adolescents. The Task Force recommends that primary care clinicians provide interventions, including education or brief counseling, to prevent initiation of tobacco use among school-aged children and adolescents (B recommendation).
This recommendation applies to school-aged children and adolescents.
Even Minimal Interventions Effective
According to the recommendation statement, “The type and intensity of effective behavioral interventions substantially varied in the evidence review, ranging from no in-person interaction with a health care professional to 7 group sessions totaling more than 15 hours. Even very minimal interventions, such as mailing materials to a youth's home, had substantial effects on reducing smoking initiation."
The final recommendation statement is also available in Annals of Internal Medicine.
The content in this post has not been reviewed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) and does not necessarily reflect the ideas and opinions of ASCO®.
