Assessing the impact of a peer-led vaping prevention program

Abstract

Background

The study examines the effectiveness of Drugs of Abuse (DOA) presentations conducted by student pharmacists in high schools across Pittsburgh, PA. The goal is to assess students' understanding and perceptions of addiction and the impact of educational interventions.

Methods

Student pharmacists specially trained as Tobacco Treatment Specialists (TTS) presented the DOA presentation at five local high schools. Data was collected through pre- and post-assessment surveys. The surveys evaluated students' perceptions of addiction using a ten-question format. Statistical analysis was performed using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and paired comparison techniques. Qualitative data was collected from the student pharmacist presenters to assess the impact of the presentation on their own views of addiction.

Results

The post-assessment of 32 matched student responses showed little global shift in scores; however, specific questions showed improvements, indicating the training's impact on understanding addiction's lifelong nature and treatment benefits.

Differences were observed between schools (P = 0.004), with one school scoring higher on knowledge of addiction due to socioeconomic factors. Gender analysis showed females scored higher than males (P = 0.010).

Conclusions

The DOA presentations were well-received, achieving high participation and diverse representation. The educational intervention improved students' understanding of addiction on specific measures. The success of the program suggests potential for expansion and continued implementation to further enhance student awareness and education on addiction.