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The "We Card" program is the most ubiquitous tobacco industry "youth smoking prevention" program in the United States, and its retailer materials have been copied in other countries. The program's effectiveness has been questioned, but no previous studies have examined its development, goals, and uses from the tobacco industry's perspective. On the basis of our analysis of tobacco industry documents released under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, we concluded that the We Card program was undertaken for 2 primary purposes: to improve the tobacco industry's image and to reduce regulation and the enforcement of existing laws. Policymakers should be cautious about accepting industry self-regulation at face value, both because it redounds to the industry's benefit and because it is ineffective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1999 and 2001, British American Tobacco, Philip Morris, and Japan Tobacco International executed Project Cerberus to develop a global voluntary regulatory regime as an alternative to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). They aimed to develop a global voluntary regulatory code to be overseen by an independent audit body and to focus attention on youth smoking prevention. The International Tobacco Products Marketing Standards announced in September 2001, however, did not have the independent audit body. Although the companies did not stop the FCTC, they continue to promote the International Tobacco Products Marketing Standards youth smoking prevention as an alternative to the FCTC. Public health civil society groups should help policymakers and governments understand the importance of not working with the tobacco industry. (Am J Public Health. 2008;98:1630-1642. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2007.129478) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the relationships between exposure to a smoking awareness curriculum, attitudes toward and knowledge about smoking, sociodemographic anti smoking exposure characteristics, and change in smoking starts over three years. During this period, 4.5 per cent of the students decreased their involvement with cigarettes, 56.6 per cent reported no change, and 38.9 per cent reported an increase. Exposure to the curriculum did not bear a significant relationship to change in smoking; however, changes in peer smoking, knowledge, and parental smoking were significant predictors. (Am J Public Health 1981; 71: 1401-1404.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skills intervention to prevent cigarette smoking was evaluated with 689 adolescents. At 24-month follow-up, youths who received health information and skills intervention had lower intentions to smoke and less cigarette use than youths who received health information alone and youths who received no intervention. Conclusions about the effects of skills intervention are strengthened by the common preparation and random assignment of intervention leaders and by process measurement data. (Am J Public Health 1985; 75:665-667.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]