Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115165

Laurie Thomas and Blayne Fielder. Dept. of Public Health, Maricopa County Tobacco Use Prevention Program, 3838 N. Central, # 1600, Phoenix, AZ 85012, 602 372-8418, lauriethomas@mail.maricopa.gov

April 2004: Local and national media sources promoted the launching of an innovative smoke-free restaurant guide with 900 listings by Maricopa County Tobacco Use Prevention Program. Featured front page on The Arizona Republic, monthly in Phoenix Magazine restaurant review, and on the AP Wire from California to South Carolina, the MACTUPP restaurant guide became a vehicle to not only promote smokefree restaurants, but promote awareness of county-wide services and increased cessation referrals. Restaurants were surveyed with a structured research instrument and protocol. Maricopa County is the 4th most populous county in the U.S., serving approximately 3.2 million people and covering well over 9,000 square miles with over 2500 individual restaurants. Due to tremendous media coverage, web site traffic increased 350% in the first month alone! This 10-fold increase in traffic helped MACTUPP promote other services, increase the number of cessation clients, and develop additional partnerships in the community. This technology has created over 60 leads alone for clients wishing to quit using tobacco, as well as many more requesting MACTUPP participation in health fairs and special events. This low-cost public relations effort can supersede advertising in a budget-constrained environment in multiple venues.

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