Evaluation of a smoking cessation club for young people.

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to undertake a formative evaluation of a young person's Smokebuster club and to examine how young people's experience of being a club member can be used to inform the club's future development. Design/methodology/approach – After seeking and being granted Local Research Ethics Committee approval to undertake the study a postal survey was conducted of all the Smokebusters members (n=2810). Findings – The response rate achieved was 16 per cent (n=438). Quantitative data analysis showed that the majority of club members who responded to the survey were white, non-disabled females, aged between 13-14 years old. The majority of young people surveyed said they had “never smoked and never will” (70.3 per cent, n=308). However, over 6 per cent (n=28) of the young people surveyed said they “currently smoke but would like to give it up”. A wealth of qualitative data was also obtained that gives useful information on how the young people surveyed thought club provision could be improved. Practical implications – The findings of this study are thought to be useful not only for future development of the Smokebuster club that is the focus of this evaluation but also for those who organise similar clubs. The findings are also of wider relevance to professionals engaged in smoking cessation initiatives for young people. Originality/value – The value of this paper relates to issues surrounding engaging undertaking young people in such evaluation. Also reports of Smokebuster club evaluations are rarely given in the literature and therefore the findings of this study augment this limited information.