Development of a Statewide Media Campaign to Promote 100% Tobacco-Free School Policies in a Tobacco State: What we Feared and What Actually Happened

To inform other states interested in utilizing media advocacy to promote tobacco-free school (TFS) policy adoption, this presentation describes the development of the first statewide television campaign in the United States to promote 100% TFS policies in North Carolina, the heart of “tobacco country”. The campaign was developed and funded by the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund (HWTF), which had to weigh the potential political implications of developing such a campaign. HWTF worked in collaboration with its teen tobacco program evaluators at the UNC School of Medicine in order to conduct formative research to shape this groundbreaking campaign. Recommendations from interviews with 16 national and state experts, 9 state legislators, and 20 other stakeholders were utilized to create a series of ads promoting the adoption of and compliance with TFS policy. These ads (which will be shown) launched in 2006 and will continue to run in 2007. Rather than the feared political fallout, the campaign has been an overwhelming success, receiving extensive positive feedback and recognition. The number of hits to the TFS Web site (www.TobaccoFreeSchoolsNC.com) has increased dramatically, as have requests for information on how to help schools adopt TFS policies. Most important, 18 school districts have adopted TFS policies since the launch of the media campaign. Overall, nearly three-fourths of NC school districts (83 out of 115) have passed 100% TFS policies as of February 2007. Adult awareness of these ads will be assessed using a question on the state's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey.