Tobacco Cessation Intervention for U.S. Marine Corps Recruits

Abstract : The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has the highest tobacco use rates of all of the Services. About 41% of entering USMC recruits are smokers, and 20% use smokeless tobacco. Although recruits are prohibited from using all forms of tobacco during basic training, post- graduation relapse rates are high, and a proportion of nonusers initiate tobacco use following graduation from boot camp. Adding a minimal intervention to the tobacco ban could provide significant benefits in long-term tobacco cessation among new USMC personnel. The primary objective of this study is to develop and evaluate a brief, video-based, tobacco cessation intervention that is tailored for the Marine Corps and practical for delivery in the training environment. Approximately 200 platoons (N = 15,000 - 18,000 recruits) will be randomly assigned to either the Intervention (I) or Control (C) group. The first video (11 or Cl) will be presented near the end of basic training; the second video (12 or C2) will presented when the new graduates report to the School of Infantry a few weeks after basic training. Three and 12- month follow-up surveys on tobacco use will be mailed to all participants. Results will be analyzed for the effects of the videos on participants' tobacco use, quit attempts, and stage of change.