Rationale, design and conduct of a comprehensive evaluation of a school-based peer-led anti-smoking intervention in the UK: the ASSIST cluster randomised trial [ISRCTN55572965]

BACKGROUND: To date, no school-based intervention has been proven to be effective in preventing adolescent smoking, despite continuing concern about smoking levels amongst young people in the United Kingdom. Although formal teacher-led smoking prevention interventions are considered unlikely to be effective, peer-led approaches to reducing smoking have been proposed as potentially valuable. METHODS/DESIGN: ASSIST (A Stop Smoking in Schools Trial) is a comprehensive, large-scale evaluation to rigorously test whether peer supporters in Year 8 (age 11–12) can be recruited and trained to effect a reduction in smoking uptake among their fellow students. The evaluation is employing a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) design with secondary school as the unit of randomisation, and is being undertaken in 59 schools in South East Wales and the West of England. Embedded within the trial are an economic evaluation of the intervention costs, a process evaluation to provide detailed information on how the intervention was delivered and received, and an analysis of social networks to consider whether such a peer group intervention could work amongst schoolchildren in this age group. Schools were randomised to either continue with normal smoking education (n = 29 schools, 5562 students), or to do so and additionally receive the ASSIST intervention (n = 30 schools, 5481 students). No schools withdrew once the trial had started, and the intervention was successfully implemented in all 30 schools, with excellent participation rates from the peer supporters. The primary outcome is regular (weekly) smoking, validated by salivary cotinine, and this outcome has been obtained for 94.4%, 91.0% and 95.6% of eligible students at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and one-year follow-up respectively. DISCUSSION: Comprehensive evaluations of complex public health interventions of this scale and nature are rare in the United Kingdom. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of conducting cluster RCTs of complex public health interventions in schools, and how the rigour of such designs can be maximised both by thorough implementation of the protocol and by broadening the scope of questions addressed in the trial by including additional evaluative components

Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People, 2011

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People&nbsp;surveys began in 1982, under the name Smoking among Secondary Schoolchildren. The series initially aimed to provide national estimates of the proportion of secondary schoolchildren aged 11-15 who smoked, and to describe their smoking behaviour. Similar surveys were carried out every two years until 1998 to monitor trends in the prevalence of cigarette smoking. The survey then moved to an annual cycle, and questions on alcohol consumption and drug use were included. The name of the series changed to Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young Teenagers to reflect this widened focus. In 2000, the series title changed, to Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People.&nbsp;NHS Digital (formerly the Information Centre for Health and Social Care) took over from the Department of Health as sponsors and publishers of the survey series from 2005. From 2014 onwards, the series changed to a biennial one, with no survey taking place in 2015, 2017 or 2019.In some years, the surveys have been carried out in Scotland and Wales as well as England, to provide separate national estimates for these countries. In 2002, following a review of Scotland's future information needs in relation to drug misuse among schoolchildren, a separate Scottish series, Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey&nbsp;(SALSUS) was established by the Scottish Executive.Main Topics:As well as the core questions on smoking, drinking and drug use, the 2011 questionnaire collected more extensive information about drug use. This included:pupils' first and most recent experience of drug usedependence on drug useperceived availability of drugsbuying drugs from the internet or shopsreasons for refusing drugsthe attitudes of pupils and their families to drug usethe impact of school lessons and other sources of information about drug use</ul

Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2000

Also available via the Internet; edited by Richard Boreham and Andrew ShawSIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:m01/41364 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Drug use, smoking and drinking among young people in England in 2001

'A survey carried out on behalf of the Department of Health by the National Centre for Social Research and the National Foundation for Educational Research'-Cover. Also available via the InternetAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:02/43561 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Detaching youth work to reduce drug and alcohol-related harm

Current youth work approaches that respond to adolescent drug and alcohol use are not working, say Adam Fletcher and Chris Bonell. They call for a shift in policy and practice to embrace 'detached', street-based youth work as a method to reduce the harm and marginalisation that drug and alcohol use continues to cause Copyright (c) 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation (c) 2009 ippr.

Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2002

'A survey carried out on behalf of the Department of Health by the National Centre for Social Research and the National Foundation for Educational Research' - Front cover. Also available via the InternetSIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:m03/30432 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Preventing substance misuse: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of the Strengthening Families Programme 10–14 UK (SFP 10–14 UK)

Background Prevention of alcohol, drug and tobacco misuse by young people is a key public health priority. There is a need to develop the evidence base through rigorous evaluations of innovative approaches to substance misuse prevention. The Strengthening Families Programme 10–14 is a universal family-based alcohol, drugs and tobacco prevention programme, which has achieved promising results in US trials, and which now requires cross-cultural assessment. This paper therefore describes the protocol for a randomised controlled trial of the UK version of the Strengthening Families Programme 10–14 (SFP 10–14 UK).&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Methods/Design The trial comprises a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled effectiveness trial with families as the unit of randomisation, with embedded process and economic evaluations. Participating families will be randomised to one of two treatment groups - usual care with full access to existing services (control group), or usual care plus SFP 10–14 UK (intervention group). The trial has two primary outcomes - the number of occasions that young people report having drunk alcohol in the last 30 days, and drunkenness during the last 30 days, both dichotomised as ‘never’ and ‘1-2 times or more’. The main follow-up is at 2 years past baseline, and short-term and intermediate outcomes are also measured at 9 and 15 months.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Discussion The results from this trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an innovative universal family-based substance misuse prevention programme in a UK context.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt