One of the most successful tobacco cessation programs ever created is The Truth Campaign. It leverages media to share messages about the dangers of smoking, the impact it can have to an individual’s health, and the role of Big Tobacco at targeting youth. The campaign’s goal, funded with millions of dollars from the tobacco settlement, is to prevent young people from taking up smoking and to help those who have started prioritize stopping. The campaign has been credited with lowering the rates of smoking among teenagers across the United States by leveraging innovating marketing, producing great ads, partnering with music venues and concert tours, and using social media to spread the word.
Meghan just started a job working for The Truth Campaign after finishing up college and working at the Department of Public Health for 3 years. Her new boss came in to her office a few days ago and explained that the most recent research showed that while smoking rates had dropped among teenagers aged 12 to 18 years, smoking rates were beginning to rise among young adults aged 18 to 24 years. Rates were especially high among young women. She asked Meghan to think up three strategies to target women in this age range.
The Truth Campaign
The truth campaign is a national smoking prevention campaign that targets adolescents
aged between 12-17 who are at risk of smoking. The program was launched in
1998 by the Florida Department of Health and is the most successful tobacco cessation program in the United States. It uses media
as a tool to share messages about smoking, the negative impacts that smoking and the role played by Big tobacco companies. It both prevents
young adults from engaging in smoking and helps those already smoking to stop. The truth
campaign lowerers the rates of smoking among teenagers across the United
States.
Questions
- What should Meghan think about as she considers how to target 18- to 24-year-old women with an anti-smoking campaign?
- What messages do you think would resonate? What are good ways to get those messages out?
- Who would be good spokespeople for the campaign and why?
- Why do you think smoking rates are rising in this age group? How would you go about answering the question of why?