Reaching rural Latinos about tobacco and alcohol prevention through a community Spanish newspaper

We initiated a community-based approach to SBIRT implementation and substance abuse prevention in a rural western county (25% Latino) with support from the Colorado Screening, Brief Intervention Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) project. We utilized a locally published community Spanish-language newspaper to provide prevention information to the Latino community. La Voz del Pueblo seeks to provide accurate information on local issues, encourage reading among families, and inform families about health and education. We sponsored full-page articles on tobacco cessation and the Colorado QuitLine, youth tobacco prevention, second-hand smoke, and alcohol and health. Future articles will cover how tobacco and alcohol affects men's health, youth alcohol prevention, and prevention from the perspective of Latino youth. We also submit letters each month on related topics to the Ask Doña Juana advice column. Reader response, assessed through door-to-door interviews and in a focus group, revealed that the following information was especially helpful: • Methods to assist with tobacco cessation • Introduction to the CO QuitLine • Importance of talking with youth about tobacco/alcohol/drugs • Safe drinking guidelines and alcohol serving sizes • Alcohol affects women differently than men • Risks associated with second-hand smoke. Some said they would use the information to help a family member or friend and asked for more information about how to talk to youth. Readers suggested that the information might be more memorable if we used “chisme” (gossip) to weave messages into a story, and use radio announcements and dramatizations (with music) to reach men with prevention messages.