Operation TACTIC: Differences in tobacco-related attitudes, knowledge and behavior between junior and high school students following a smokeless tobacco prevention program

Operation TACTIC (Teens Against Chewing Tobacco in the Community) is an education and advocacy program that was created by the Ohio Dental Association and focuses on the dangers of smokeless tobacco use among youth. The program is designed to be used by teachers or other trained presenters and can be incorporated into health or science programs. During 2005-2006, Greene County Combined Health District presented the program to 2,046 students in grades 4 through 12. These students primarily resided in rural counties in Ohio. Although the curriculum does not include assessment instruments, they were developed for these trainings. The instruments included questions on participants' attitudes (“My friends would think it is cool if I used smokeless tobacco”), knowledge (“You can become addicted to smokeless tobacco”) and behavior (“Have you ever tried smokeless tobacco”) related to smokeless tobacco use. The items were rated on a five point Likert-type scale and were administered before and after participation in the program. In this poster, we will present information related to students' current and past tobacco usage patterns, highlighting similarities and differences related to gender and race. We will also compare and contrast the responses of middle school students to junior and senior high students. Finally, the responses of students will be examined before and after their participation in TACTIC. This will include their intentions related to future tobacco use. Finally, copies of the assessment instruments will be available as a handout. The results underscore the need for early prevention programs.