Coming attractions: Free resources to promote quitting this Independence Day

In observance of the July 4^th holiday, OSH has planned communications activities beginning next week that not only capitalize on the theme of independence but also remind those who use tobacco products that freedom from tobacco use can be achieved. Below is a preview of what’s to come. We hope this information will help inform how your organization can use the materials and resources to support those in your community who want to quit. We encourage you to share this E-mail with your tobacco control partners so that they, too, can plan to use them. Please be on the lookout for an E-mail next Monday providing links to these products.

Please also note that OSH’s media contractor will be sending out a message on June 28 to an extensive list of media outlets across the country asking them to consider airing two public service announcements (PSAs) from the Tips From Former Smokers campaign. The PSAs are titled "Cessation Tips” and "Jessica’s Asthma Tip.” This gives you another opportunity to follow up personally with your local media outlets and request that they consider airing the PSAs. This has the potential for generating significant post-campaign "bounce” during July and August.

Source: CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health

Products and Activities

CDC Feature Article: Gaining Freedom From Tobacco Use

This article:

• Describes how tobacco products are designed for addiction
• Encourages tobacco users to protect their health by quitting
• Presents a firsthand account from Wilma, a Tips From Former Smokers campaign participant who finally quit after several attempts
• Provides helpful quitting resources

Read and share this feature article starting Monday morning from CDC.gov and CDC Tobacco Free social media profiles.

Information on OSH’s Smoking & Tobacco Use Web Site: Your One-Stop Shop

OSH will provide a link to the July Media Calendar page, which in turn contains links to the CDC feature article as well as to quitting resources and social media tools.

Social Media Engagement: Like, Follow, and Subscribe!

To take advantage of all the activities we have planned on our social media profiles, you may wish to like and follow @CDCTobaccoFree on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to the Smoking & Tobacco Use playlist on YouTube. Doing so will enable you to receive and share status updates and profile updates as they are posted. Within the CDC article, we will be featuring Wilma’s story, a Tips campaign participant who successfully quit. We’ll also provide a button encouraging smokers to quit that links to Wilma’s story on the Tips From Former Smokers Web site.

Digital Media: Tips From Former Smokers Web site

All Tips Web pages are now social media optimized, so we encourage you to share your favorite pages on your social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. In keeping with the quitting message that is a central theme of the CDC feature article, check out embedded videos on Wilma, Beatrice, and James’ personal pages within the Tips site.