The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: Smokebusters is a three-year continuum based on the Centers for Disease Control Best-Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control for youth grades 8-12 that educates and empowers them to become critical thinkers, avoid tobacco use, and advocate for a tobacco free environment within their schools and communities. An appropriate audience would be health department staff and community volunteers.

Methods: In this project's three year interactive, hands-on continuum, Phase I strategies include learning to recognize the characteristics of audiences, learning the chemistry of tobacco and it's negative effects, understanding how tobacco advertising deceives, developing self confidence to advocate, and planning a target site for environmental policy change: Phase II includes using media resources for advocacy, developing relationships with government officials, and collaborating with target sites for change; Phase III includes learning about "Big Tobacco's" negative influence, how to use the truth to educate, and how to develop skills to approach boards for change.

Results: This year the program has been successfully implemented in 99 rural, suburban and urban school districts in Missouri with over 1145 students and mentors trained so far this year, with more trainings to be scheduled for this cycle. Of the 10 policy changes, i.e. schools, parks, restaurants, asked for last year in northeast MO, 9 were passed. Participants will come away with a description of this project as well as contacts for information on how to obtain this project in their area.