Researchers at the University of Arizona are seeking volunteers — including students — for a new study on teaching people techniques to persuade smokers to quit.
Project Reach, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is testing the effectiveness of three different methods of training and aims at teaching those not in medical school or the health profession how to help people quit smoking.
Although the project still is in its research stage, officials hope this program could be instituted at schools outside of Arizona, including Northwestern.
The Arizona Health Sciences Center and Pima Community College are collaborating for the project, where the main goal is to “teach people who normally might not get involved,” said Dr. Myra Muramoto, the principle investigator for Project Reach and an associate professor at Arizona.
According to the project’s Web site, the aim is to use “innovative and interactive curriculum” to teach people how to politely encourage tobacco users to quit smoking.
The project’s goal is to test if Web-based intervention training is as effective as an in-person workshop, Muramoto told the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the university’s student newspaper.
Volunteers must be 18 years old, must be screened by the project committee and must have Internet access, for the project’s Web site.
The project is looking for more than 1,000 volunteers, who will be placed randomly in one of the three training programs: a four-hour workshop; Web-based training; and a mail-out group, which is completed in the volunteer’s home.
The Web-based training includes videos of instructors, former tobacco users and fellow tobacco interveners and exercises to learn how to approach tobacco users, Muramoto told the Daily Wildcat in August after the program’s launch.
According to Muramoto, several Arizona students enrolled are in the project so far.
NU students said they were indifferent to the idea of instituting a similar program.
“It’s a good idea, but I don’t know if I would do it,” said Weinberg freshman Salil Tamhane.
Associated Student Government Treasurer John Hughes expressed similar sentiments.
“I am not aware of a large number of students requesting a service along those lines,” said Hughes, a former Daily staffer.
“Students have the option of one-on-one counseling (for smoking) for up to 12 sessions … From ASG’s perspective smoking is not a big issue,” he added.
Weinberg sophomore Nathan Tenenbaum said he is “open to any ideas” on quitting smoking.
“But it’s a very personal decision, and I’m not sure how helpful one person would be in helping another to quit,” he said.
Reach Benjamin Stix at [email protected].
