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NTCC Priorities

• 1. Increase consumer demand for evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments and services
• 2. Link tobacco control public policy changes to increase cessation and treatment use and demand
• 3. Promote the inclusion and use of tobacco control and cessation content in electronic health records (EHRs)
• 4. Increase national, state and local longitudinal surveillance of tobacco-use cessation, including quitting motivation and behaviors, treatment beliefs and use, services, and policies
• 5. Expand access to proven, effective treatments for tobacco addiction
• 6. Support an expanded research agenda to achieve advances in the reach, effectiveness and adoption of tobacco cessation interventions across both individuals and populations
• 7. Launch an ongoing, extensive, national paid media campaign on cessation to help Americans quit using tobacco
• 8. Support the increase in the federal and state excise tax on tobacco to expand assistance for tobacco users who want to quit
• 9. Build capacity for quitlines in order to provide universal access to evidence-based counseling and medications for tobacco cessation

National Priority #7

Launch an ongoing, extensive, national paid media campaign on cessation to help Americans quit using tobacco

Multifaceted media campaigns were strongly recommended in the Guide to Community Preventive Services. Moreover, the Guide noted that the strongest evidence of effectiveness of such campaigns comes from settings where they were implemented in the context of multi-component programs. Further, the relevant research showed that such programs increased cessation across a variety of populations, indicating their widespread impact.

Featured Partner Activity

Last year, the American Legacy Foundation launched a national media campaign called EX® which aims to change the way smokers think about the difficult process of quitting, and guide them to valuable free resources to build a successful quit attempt. EX encourages smokers to approach quitting smoking as "re-learning life without cigarettes." EX provides smokers with information that can help them prepare for a quit attempt by 1) "Re-learning" their thinking on the behavioral aspects of smoking and how different smoking triggers can be overcome with practice and preparation; 2) "Re-learning" their knowledge of addiction and how medications can increase their chances for quitting success; and 3) "Re-learning" their ideas of how support from friends and family members can play a critical role in quitting.

The EX campaign included advertisements on television, radio and online and via out-of-home promotions. The program also offers smokers a new Web site, http://www.becomeanex.org/, which features action-oriented tools and information to help smokers prepare for quitting by developing a personalized plan, as well as a virtual community, where smokers can share stories and best practices about their quit attempt.

A recent evaluation examined awareness of and receptivity to EX as well as traffic to www.BecomeAnEX.org. Overall:

• Aided awareness of EX was higher than other national cessation campaigns.
• Confirmed awareness was comparable between most socio-demographic groups; however, further investigation is warranted to examine the differences by race/ethnicity.
• There was a high demand for web cessation services.

A longitudinal study is currently being conducted to assess impact of EX.

The EX campaign is currently not running TV or radio ads nationally, but is in a new phase of online promotion, including banner ads, that will last for 6-9 months. After this phase, a new creative phase will be launched. State members continue to air TV and radio ads on a local level.

Other Partner Activities

NTCC partners are currently conducting many activities related to this priority. For a list of these NTCC partner activities, click here.