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School of Health Sciences

«Here we are» – smoke-free places

Denormalize the consumption of (E-)tobacco products at and around schools together with vocational and middle school students

Background

The consumption of (e-)tobacco products is often still seen as normal in various pleasure-oriented social settings. Young people in particular are strongly influenced by their social environment and the perception of what is considered normal. The increase in e-cigarettes could lead to a renormalization of classic tobacco products. Against this background, the participatory and scientifically based pilot project “Here we are” aims to denormalize the (e-)tobacco consumption at public places relevant to youth.

Objectives

The main goal of the project is the development and testing of health-promoting measures to denormalize the consumption of (e-)tobacco products. The focus is on vocational and middle schools and their immediate surroundings in the city of Basel. Special attention is paid to the two segments of young people who are characterized by being social and self-confident and having a smoking environment or being rebellious and risk-taking and having a low future orientation. These segments make up 37% of the youth population and also have a high smoking prevalence.

Method

The project builds on the segmentation of the REACH project of the Tobacco Prevention Fund (TPF). The measures are developed participatively with the young people and an advisory board consisting of youth workers, scientists, and project leaders from similar TPF projects. The impact of the measures is evaluated through surveys, observations, and objective data, such as the number of cigarette butts per week and school.

Benefits / Expected Results

It is expected that especially the target groups of the two youth segments, which are characterized by being social and self-confident and having a smoking environment or being rebellious and risk-taking and having a low future orientation, are better informed about smoking areas and also comply with them. In addition, the proportion of young people in these segments who smoke should decrease. In the long term, the project aims to reduce smoking in public areas, especially near schools, and promote healthier behavior among young people.

The results will be published at the end of the project in spring 2025.

Project organization