CDC Invites Comments on Phase 3 of "The Campaign"

CDC has opened up a portal for public comments on its National Tobacco Prevention and Control Public Education Campaign (The Campaign). CDC wants input on the effectiveness of its existing efforts on data collection.

The Campaign, a collaboration between HHS and CDC launched in 2012, encourages smokers to quit and nonsmokers to communicate the dangers of the habit to smokers. Initial surveys were conducted in 2012 (phase 1) and follow-up surveys in 2013 (phase 2). Phase 3 surveys were conducted in 2014 and CDC has gathered all necessary information required for analyzing the phase 3 surveys. Four waves of online surveys for smokers and 3 waves for nonsmokers gathered their response to advertisements released by the CDC to meet the goals of The Campaign, which also informed the objectives for Phase 4.

CDC gathered its data from 2 sources:

• Random sampling of postal mailing addresses in the United States to reach a longitudinal cohort of smokers and nonsmokers (who have not participated in previous surveys)
• GfK KnowledgePanel, an established long-term online panel of US adults

A combination of the 2 sources will support larger sample sizes and allow for more in-depth subgroup analysis.

The Campaign regularly updates its strategies to keep up with the marketing tactics and reach of tobacco products. This includes updating survey instruments to include revised items or relevant topics, such as cigars, noncombustible tobacco-based products and other trends in that industry. The related website developed by CDC has a lot of information to support those who would really like to quit their tobacco habit. It includes stories from former smokers, tips to develop a strategy for quitting, information on health problems that smokers can face, as well as access to a support helpline (1-800-QUIT-NOW).

The Campaign website also provides resources such as videos, social media content, and print advertisements that can help spread the word on the damage caused by smoking.

Phase 5 of The Campaign was launched in 2016, and subsequent phases are planned for launch in 2017 and 2018. Written comments on current efforts will be accepted for 60 days following publication of the notice, which was released on January 5.