Final answer:
Prevention programs to reduce adolescent nicotine use should comprise universal, selective, and indicated prevention strategies tailored to community needs and enforced by government regulations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Prevention Programs for Adolescent Nicotine Use
When designing a prevention program for reducing adolescent nicotine use in a community, it is important to consider the most effective prevention models: universal prevention, selective prevention, and indicated prevention. Universal prevention strategies are broad and target the entire population, such as mass media campaigns and school-based education curricula on the dangers of nicotine use. Selective prevention targets specific subgroups that may be at higher risk, like adolescents with a family history of substance abuse. Indicated prevention is focused on individuals who have already begun using nicotine or show signs of initiating use.
For a successful program, it is critical to understand the characteristics of the target audience and the community. Incorporating education on the undesirable effects of tobacco and the addictiveness of e-cigarettes is essential. The program could also benefit from data gathered from focus groups and community assessments conducted for similar programs in the past. Importantly, prevention efforts must recognize the discreet nature of certain types of vapes and their prevalence among middle and high school students.
The government's role in underage smoking and vaping, as mentioned in FIGURE 7.8, is to enforce regulations to protect youth. Considering this, a comprehensive approach that includes all three prevention models, coupled with strong policy enforcement, could maximize the effectiveness of the program in curbing adolescent nicotine use.