Learning Objectives: Describe cost effective media strategies for increasing the number of young adults seeking cessation services at the local level. Describe brief motivational interviewing techniques specific to young adults that increase quit attempts and cessation sucesses. Provide practical tools such as "Quit Kits" for enhancing cessation efforts and follow-up in young adults and college students. Review research findings related to this practical intervention technique for young adults.
Abstract: Young adults, both those attending college and those in the work force, represent an incredibly beneficial population for cessation efforts. By the time young adults are daily smokers, most of them want to quit. The longer they delay trying to quit, the harder quitting becomes. Early cessation efforts minimize health consequences for the individual and help to promote the diffusion of cessation through the adult population. This program focuses on cessation interventions at the local level. Inexpensive and practical media approaches that simultaneously normalize non-smoking in young adults and yet also advertise cessation resources will be described. Free access to media campaigns will be provided. Young adults are busy people. They often cannot or will not attend group sessions. Instead, many college clinics have found that brief motivational interventions, easy access to prescription medications, Internet resources and email support services are more effective strategies for working with young adults. Tools like “Quit Kits” supply both information and a way to follow-up on how and individual is doing in their quest to be smoke free. Young adult smokers get sick and seek medical treatment more often than their non-smoking peers. Because of this, practical health clinic interventions are key to reaching young adults at teachable moments. Brief motivational strategies for effective cessation and appropriate use of medications will be reviewed. At the end of the session, participants will work in groups to brainstorm ways to apply lessons learned to their own local young adult populations.
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