Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project

PI: Arthur V. Peterson, Jr., PhD

The Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project (HSPP), 1984-2000, was a landmark group randomized trial in youth smoking prevention, conducted by the Hutchinson Center in collaboration with 40 Washington school districts and involving more than 8,300 students. Participants were two consecutive third grade enrollments in each of the 40 school districts who were followed to endpoint at age 20 with a 94% participation rate.

The HSPP determined that, consistent with previous long-term studies, implementation in the schools of a grades 3-10 social influences intervention – the research paradigm of the day – was no more effective than existing school health curricula in preventing smoking onset among adolescents. The rigor of the HSPP trial suggested high credence for the intervention impact results.

In the five years since its publication, the HSPP main results paper has already been cited over 100 times, and is the second most cited paper in the last 10 years in school-based smoking research. Also, the HSPP trial results have helped stimulate new lines of longitudinal research (some of which are being done by our group) to understand better and in more detail the processes and circumstances of youth smoking acquisition. The methodological accomplishments of the HSPP trial have been widely noted, praised, and used.

We are deeply grateful to the students, parents, and school personnel in the 40 HSPP communities for their interest and cooperation. Without their many years of strong interest and support our important adolescent smoking prevention research would not have been possible.

For questions or additional information please contact:

Kathleen Kealey, Project Manager
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
1100 Fairview Ave. N., M2-C826
P.O. Box 19024
Seattle, WA 98109-1024
Phone: (206) 667-2958
Email address: kkealey@fhcrc.org