This Friday, May 31, marks World No Tobacco Day. This year, it is dedicated to young people. In France, a program specifically dedicated to them, Tabado. Sacha Contesto, prevention facilitator on the island, answers questions from France 3 Corse ViaStella.
Since 1987, May 31 has been World No Tobacco Day led by the World Health Organization (WHO). Its goal: “to raise awareness of the tobacco epidemic and its deadly effects throughout the world. Tobacco use is the largest preventable epidemic facing healthcare workers,” says the WHO.
This year, the actions target young people who, according to the WHO, are targeted by “the tobacco industry to perpetuate its profits and thus create a new generation of dependent people”.
In France, the Tabado program, set up by the National Cancer Institute, specifically supports young people in CFA, vocational or agricultural high schools in quitting smoking. Sacha Contesto, tobacco prevention presenter, answers questions from France 3 Corse.
What is the Tabado program?
In CFA, vocational and agricultural high schools, tobacco consumption doubles compared to general courses. For three years, we have been going to these establishments in Corse-du-Sud and Haute-Corse where we carry out innovative and free actions.
In addition to the information stands, we meet students during class hours. We are always accompanied by a tobacco nurse or a tobacco doctor, which allows us to receive young people for consultation during the day. Thus, we can deliver patches, gums or lozenges free of charge.
The program works well, since one in two smokers register for a consultation and 20% quit smoking. You should know that these young people benefit from support throughout the school year with appointments, in person or by telephone, with a tobacco nurse who coaches them.
The program is also fun, because a competition is organized between the establishments. Thus, the one who earns the most points wins a sum of 1,000 euros to buy sports equipment for high school, for example. Points are earned based on the number of registrations or meetings with professionals.
How can we explain such a large number of smokers in these establishments?
There are several explanations. Firstly, sociological studies show that there are many more smokers among people who have had no education or no education, i.e. a lower social level.
These young people are also exposed to the professional world very early on through internships. They take breaks with adults who may consume significant amounts of tobacco.
And there is also boredom. When classes are canceled, for example, these students stay outside to smoke. In these establishments, we see a lot of tobacco consumption in very large quantities. Sometimes 17-year-olds smoke two packs of cigarettes a day.
However, consumption varies depending on the establishment. We were pleasantly surprised at the Fiumorbu comprehensive high school. There, it is very frowned upon to smoke, so smoking students are very rare, 4 out of 440. On the contrary, at the Sartène agricultural high school, one student in two is a smoker.
Note that in Corsica, in recent years, fewer and fewer boys smoke. So there are more girls smoking. For the moment, apart from a fashion phenomenon, this specificity cannot be explained.
Will this program be sustained?
We are at a pivotal moment, because from next year, the national cancer institute will no longer pilot this program, everything will be transferred to regional health agencies. We would like the ARS of Corsica to be made aware of the benefits of this program so that we can continue.
At the moment we are in complete uncertainty, but if Tabado were not maintained, it would be a catastrophe. We have created a bond with young people, they know us and they come to see us even if they don’t smoke. This allows early identification even on other consumptions.
So, if the program ended, it would cut us off from part of Corsican youth.
