The Health Department is on a mission to “Blackout Tobacco” in Pima County as part of the
2017 Great American Smoke Out (GASO) on Thursday, November 16.
The Department this year teamed up with local tobacco prevention youth coalitions and community organizations to launch the first Blackout Tobacco campaign designed to encourage tobacco users to quit for the day and to provide support to people helping others quit.
The Tobacco and Chronic Disease (TCD) Program and partners collaborated to develop and roll out Blackout Tobacco posters, bus wraps, radio commercials, and events co-hosted by local radio stations and tobacco prevention youth coalitions, all around Pima County.
“Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. and is one of the most challenging addictions for people to get rid of,” Tobacco and Chronic Disease (TCD) Program Manager Greg Rivera said. “Alternate forms of tobacco, including e-cigarettes, create health risks and the potential for nicotine addiction, and although there have been declines in both youth and adult tobacco use in Arizona, a divergence in healthy equity continues to exist.”
TCD works with youth tobacco prevention groups throughout the year and serves as a resource and tool for tobacco education, tobacco policy, and tobacco prevention event planning countywide. Those coalitions will play a pivotal role this year in outreach by co-hosting simultaneous radio remote broadcasts at three locations:
- Anza Trail K-8/Walden Grove High School: Mama’s Hawaiian BBQ, 15990 S. Rancho Sahuarita Blvd.
- Empire High School: Subway, 8140 S. Houghton Rd., #100
- Tucson Indian Center: Tucson Indian Center, 160 N. Stone Ave. (at Alameda Street)
Three radio stations, 102.1 KFMA, 93.7 KRQ and HOT 98.3, each will host one remote event November 16, airing 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Each location will offer either a pledge wall, memory wall or encouragement wall for people to post on, plus tobacco cessation resources, tobacco prevention education demonstrations and free giveaways.
The Health Department encourages everyone to participate by pledging to quit tobacco for 24 hours or pledging to support someone on their journey to quitting tobacco. Participants should wear a black t-shirt, snap a photo and post it on social media with the hashtag #blackouttobacco throughout the day, then check out the department’s
Facebook or
Twitter pages to see how others are taking part. Other items to show support, including Blackout Tobacco stickers, can be found at the TCD Office inside Abrams Public Health Center, 3950 S. Country Club Rd., or online through the
campaign webpage, download flyers, postcards, ground signs and other materials.
Call the Health Department, 520.724.7904, for more information.