The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: The Maricopa County Tobacco Use Prevention Program (MACTUPP) offers several excellent free programs to the citizens of Maricopa County, including tobacco cessation classes, worksite wellness and school prevention programs. In order to overcome the financial obstacles of advertising, MACTUPP is constantly searching out ways to obtain free media coverage. MACTUPP needed to create public awareness of its services and provide a resource to the community that has never been offered.

Methods: Recognizing the marketing power that a web site can provide, there was a need to do more than simply update the content and re-design the current layout, we needed for something new and innovative to attract attention to the improved site. As a solution, a comprehensive smoke-free restaurant guide was created. MACTUPP compiled a listing of over 1200 individual restaurants providing a completely smoke-free inside dining experience for their patrons. Restaurants were surveyed with a structured research instrument and protocol.

Results: Local and national media sources promoted the launching of the smoke-free restaurant guide. Featured front page on The Arizona Republic, monthly in Phoenix Magazine restaurant review, and on the AP Wire from California to South Carolina, the MACTUPP restaurant guide became a vehicle to not only promote smoke-free restaurants, but also promote awareness of county-wide services and increased cessation referrals. This technology has created over 75 leads for new cessation clients, as well as requests for participation in health fairs. This low-cost public relations effort can supersede advertising in a budget-constrained environment in multiple venues.