While most anti-tobacco campaigns seek to change attitudes and behaviors, campaign designers often fail to consider the importance of altering tobacco-related social norms. The current study seeks to determine whether Arizona’s anti-tobacco use media campaign has been successful in creating a stronger anti-tobacco social norm among adults and youth over time. Cross-sectional data were collected in July 1998, September 1999, and September 2000 via random-digit dial telephone interviews with adults (n1=463, n2=403, n3=360) and youth (n1=1,025, n2=407, n3=302) in Arizona. Over time, the campaign has shifted from an almost exclusive focus on youth-oriented ads to a greater emphasis on ads targeting adults and ads discussing the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke. Encouragingly, the campaign appears to be yielding positive outcomes among both adults and youth as a result. Compared to earlier waves, adult smokers and nonsmokers in the most recent wave were significantly more likely to perceive tobacco use, secondhand smoking, and pregnant women smoking as important issues. Youth were also significantly more likely to perceive tobacco use, secondhand smoke, adult smoking, and pregnant women smoking as serious issues. These changes in perceptions were linked with positive changes in smoking-related behavioral intentions. Implications for the successful design of anti-tobacco media campaigns targeting adults and youth will be discussed.
Learning Objectives: After completing this session, participants will be able to (1) discuss the merits of focusing media campaigns on social norms surrounding tobacco use and (2) identify important, yet often ignored, variables to include in the evaluation of anti-tobacco media campaigns.
Keywords: Tobacco, Media Campaigns
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.