Abstract
Research in tobacco prevention is increasingly showing that anti-smoking campaigns aimed at youth work. However, not all interventions are effective, and some have had unintended harmful effects, even to the point of increasing tobacco use by youth. In this commentary, we discuss potentials risks associated with interventions poorly supported by the evidence, using the example of tobacco prevention campaigns that focus on the effects of smoking on beauty. We conclude with two points: 1) the importance of using strategies based on evidence, and 2) the importance of rigorous evaluation of innovative strategies.
Résumé
En matière de prévention du tabagisme chez les jeunes, la littérature nous permet d’identifier des interventions ayant bien démontré leur efficacité. Cependant, toutes les interventions ne sont pas efficaces, et certaines peuvent même avoir des effets paradoxaux. Dans cet article, nous discutons des risques potentiels associés à l’utilisation d’interventions peu documentées dans la littérature scientifique, en prenant l’exemple de campagnes de prévention du tabagisme chez les jeunes utilisant le thème de la beauté. Nous concluons sur l’importance d’utiliser des interventions basées sur des preuves solides et d’évaluer rigoureusement les interventions novatrices.
Mots-clés: Tabagisme, prévention, beauté, médecine factuelle, évaluation
Footnotes
Remerciements: Les auteurs remercient les Drs Johanne Laguë, Marie-France Raynault et Éric Litvak, ainsi que les réviseurs, pour leurs commentaires inestimables sur le manuscrit.
Avertissement: Les opinions exprimées dans ce texte sont celles des auteurs et ne représentent pas nécessairement les positions de l’Université de Montréal ou de l’Institut national de santé publique du Québec.
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