[Prevention of nicotine addiction in the school environment]

Data analysis concerning tobacco smoking among children and teenagers stresses the need for health education in order to fight against this alarming trend at earliest age. In Montpellier (France) the Cancer Prevention Center of Epidaure develops in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, health education programs on this subject. This paper describes different actions sponsored by the Europe Against Cancer Program. It includes the creation of original and new educational tools. Some of which are aimed at health education training programs for the teachers. It also covers visits to the Epidaure Museum and school projects on smoking prevention. All of these programs are based on the following principles common to all actions carried out at Epidaure: the respect and consideration of children's cultural specificities and knowledge, the adequation of the messages to the social and family environment and that of the school itself, as well as the importance of the body and well being through positive messages.