ButtOut Media Campaign

Nearly every adult who smokes (almost 90 percent) took his/her first puff at/or before the age of 18. The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that mass media campaigns are effective at informing youth about smoking hazards & promoting cessation actions and services. The CDC reports that health communication interventions are powerful tools for preventing smoking initiation, promoting and facilitating cessation and shaping social norms related to tobacco use. Effective messages targeted appropriately can stimulate public support for tobacco control interventions and create a supportive climate for policy and programmatic community efforts. Teens communicate through electronic media via text messaging and social networking. The “ButtOut” program was created to provide a resource for teens to use their mobile phone to assist with smoking cessation advice and education and an avenue for young people to get up to date, valid health education information on tobacco use. Marketing for this program was evaluated for potential of cell phones, other mobile devices, social networking sites, printed media and radio, to revolutionize public health communications, particularly in aiding young people to stop smoking. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Butt-Out-Louisville/120477307988570