Public Awareness and Media Campaign
March 2008
Campaign history
The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (Tobacco Program)
began running advertisements using a variety of media in October 2000.
There are three separate efforts:
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A prevention campaign targeting youth.
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A quit campaign targeting adult tobacco
users.
-
An education campaign about the dangers of
secondhand smoke.
Preventing kids from beginning tobacco use
The first youth campaign
in 2000 featured radio and television ads that had been used effectively
in other states. In January 2002, the Tobacco Program launched its
own “Tobacco Smokes You” advertisements with the help of advertising and
public relations experts who tested the effectiveness of messages with
Washington kids.
After
three successful rounds of that campaign, the program launched the
“NoStankYou” campaign in September 2006. This campaign targeted 12-
to 14-year-olds and included radio and TV ads, print media, special
promotions, and an innovative interactive Web site,
www.NoStankYou.com. In September 2007, “NoStankYou 2.0”
began and ran through July 2008.
Helping adults quit
In June 2002, the Tobacco Program launched its first
made-for-Washington advertising campaign promoting the Washington Tobacco
Quit Line (1-800-QUIT-NOW). A new television, radio and print
advertising campaign has promoted the quit line each year. The
current campaign, “Cold Turkey”, emphasizes the importance of having a
plan for organizing the quitting process. The star of the campaign,
which ran through June 2008, is a real cold turkey
representing the difficulty of quitting “cold turkey” without a plan in
place.
In addition, the Tobacco Program hosts a Web
site, www.quitline.com, where
visitors can listen to a sample call to the quit line, read stories from
people who have quit tobacco, learn about the physical changes they can
expect once they stop using tobacco, and meet some of the Washington
Tobacco Quit Line specialists.
Secondhand smoke campaign
In December 2002, the program launched a secondhand smoke
campaign that featured ads developed by other states. The ads were
designed to educate people about the dangers of breathing secondhand smoke
and especially the dangers to children. In February 2005, the
Tobacco Program created its own ads, which educate about the dangers of
secondhand smoke to employees and patrons of smoking establishments.
Having raised awareness about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke in
workplaces during previous campaigns, the 2006 “Take it Outside” campaign
educated people about the dangers of secondhand smoke in private spaces,
such as in the car or in the home. The Tobacco Program also hosts a
Web site,
www.SmokeFreeWashington.com, that was launched in December 2002 to
increase awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke and promote policy
change.
Media advocacy activities support youth media
campaign
To reinforce the messages in the media campaign, the Tobacco
Program supports a variety of innovative activities and efforts aimed
towards youth ages 8-18. Support is provided to up to10 county
youth coalitions, guiding them in developing a strategic plan for
changing smoking policies within their counties. Youth receive
hands-on technical assistance in planning and talking with media and
opinion leaders, and in organizing local anti-tobacco events.
A comprehensive approach to fighting tobacco use
Research shows that tobacco prevention programs must conduct a
comprehensive set of strategies to be effective. The Washington
State Tobacco Prevention and Control Program provides services to help
people quit, conducts public awareness and media campaigns, supports
local programs in communities and schools, supports enforcement of
policies to keep kids from accessing tobacco products, and evaluates the
effectiveness of program activities.
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