Rita J. Lourie, MSN, MPH, RN¹, Marilyn Wood, MA², Robin Dunn², Cathy Curley, MSN, RN¹, and Nancy Z Henkin, PhD². (1) Department of Nursing, Temple University, 3307 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, 215-707-4872, rlourie@temple.edu, (2) Center for Intergenerational Learning, Temple University, 206 University Service Building, 1601 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19122

Temple University’s North Philadelphia Anti-Tobacco Awareness Program,a joint project of the Department of Nursing and the Center for Intergenerational Learning’s Full Circle Theater, is based in a low income African American neighborhood. The use of tobacco products among community adolescents is increasing, following a nationwide trend. According to Phillip Gardiner, “African American Teen Cigarette Smoking,” there are seven factors contributing to this increase: 1)tobacco industry marketing directly to African Americans and teens 2)tobacco industry sponsorships 3)hip hop culture’s adoption of tobacco and marijuana 4)cigarettes and cigars used in conjunction with marijuana 5)greater access to tobacco products 6)greater access to cheaper tobacco and 7)increasing impoverishment and marginalization of inner-city African American youths.

In order to address these multiple risk factors faced by African American adolescents,this project adapted "The New Haven Social Development Program", a nationally tested social problem-solving curriculum, which has been used successfully by at risk children to make healthy choices. The interactive theater workshop curriculum emphasizes the need to stop and reflect on the problem and to evaluate the potential consequences of actions before making choices to smoke or to be around smokers through dramatic enactments, role plays, and art projects.

The success of this methodology will be presented with both quantitative and qualitative evaluation measures.

Learning Objectives: