Cool kids can help others avoid smoking: study | Health | Reuters

Getting the cool kids to talk to their peers about the dangers of smoking cut the number of young people who started using cigarettes in one study by nearly 25 percent, British researchers said on Friday.

The study published in the journal Lancet took a different approach than most tobacco cessation programs aimed at youths by asking students to nominate others they viewed as influential or leaders to spread the anti-smoking message.

This peer selection proved more effective than conventional programs and greatly reduced the number of students likely to start smoking, the researchers said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL0811076420080508