Occasional cigarette smokers: Cue for harm reduction smoking education

Since abstinence-based smoking prevention education strategies have not impeded increases in teenage smoking in the 1990's, strategies including harm reduction merit consideration. This study explored determinants of regular and occasional smoking and the feasibility and acceptability of smoking harm reduction messages among Western Australian 12-15 year old students. Sixteen hundred and sixty-two students completed a quantitative survey. A random sub-sample of 256 regular, occasional, experimental, ex- and non-smokers also completed a qualitative questionnaire. Regular smokers reported less intention and less self efficacy to quit, perceived greater benefits from smoking and perceived lower risk from smoking and other drug use than did occasional smokers. Occasional smokers were not significantly different from non-, ex- or experimental smokers except they identified more benefits from smoking and perceived lower risks from drug use. All students were more receptive to harm reduction messages which include abstinence messages and less amenable to abstinence-only smoking prevention messages. A harm reduction approach may be more positively received by occasional and regular smokers than abstinence only education approaches.