Promoting a Tobacco Free Lifestyle

Partnership for a Tobacco Free Cerro Gordo County In the fall of 1999, the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health and the Mason City YMCA Teen Leadership Group launched a comprehensive community-based counter-tobacco strategy. The group analyzed various tobacco issues and problems associated with tobacco use and developed a multi-media counter-tobacco campaign. Components of this marketing campaign included TV and radio commercials, billboard displays, movie theater screen advertising, and webpage.

Clear Lake Youth Access to Tobacco Advertising Project (1998) was designed to address tobacco advertisements within the community of Clear Lake. Many community members are concerned about tobacco use and know that tobacco companies advertise to try to get people, especially teenagers, to use tobacco. This project was set up to address the growing concern about cigarette and chewing tobacco advertisements that are seen in stores and on the streets in Clear Lake.

A committee of adults and youth from Clear Lake have conducted a community assessment of tobacco advertising and promotion practices. They surveyed and completed a tobacco advertising report card on 55 different businesses within Clear Lake. Of those, 41 do not advertise tobacco products, but 14 still do! The majority of advertisements are located inside the business and on the counter area. These 14 businesses were responsible for a total of 128 advertisements. Our goal is to increase the awareness and knowledge of what impact tobacco advertising has on youth. Check out what is happening in your community!

~ The Clear Lake Youth Tobacco Advertising Project Committee Members ~