Respecting the Air We Breathe

A Project about Developing and Delivering Second-hand Tobacco Smoke Messages Targeted to Young Adults

Young adults are an emerging priority population for tobacco control in Canada. Respecting the Air We Breathe examined young adults as a target audience for second-hand tobacco smoke messages.

We welcome you to check out our research findings and adapt our message concepts for your specific purposes. The body of knowledge about young adult tobacco control is growing, and we want to share what we learned from this project!
 

• Final report
  

About the project

With a view to supporting the priorities, goals and objectives of Canada 's national tobacco control strategy, the Respecting the Air We Breathe project was conceived to examine young adults as a target audience and to develop messages that would educate young adult smokers and non-smokers about how to exercise:

• their responsibility to protect co-workers, peers and household members (including pets) from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke; and
• their right to breathe smoke-free air.

Respecting the Air We Breathe encompassed two phases. Phase I research activities were geared to increasing knowledge and understanding of young adults, determining best practices, and guiding recommendations.

Activities undertaken during Phase I included:

• a literature review (under review);
• an inventory of messages and resources targeted to young adults;
• a key informant meeting;
• key informant telephone interviews;
• a stakeholder survey; and
• a young adult survey.

Message development and testing were the primary activities of Phase II. Four second-hand tobacco smoke message concepts were tested with young adult Canadians in regional focus groups. Data were collected and analyzed, and refinements to the concepts were made based on feedback from the target audience.

Final recommendations on the most promising messages and message delivery channels were based primarily on research findings from Phase I and focus group data analysis findings from Phase II.
 

National Advisory Committee

A National Advisory Committee provided advice and expertise throughout the project. Members represented organizations that support tobacco control and research, Aboriginal health, health practitioners, respiratory health, and young adult health promotion:

• Vicki Bryanton, PEI Lung Association
• Cynthia Callard, Physicians for a Smoke-free Canada
• Roberta Ferrence , Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (Chair)
• Michael Fisher, National Aboriginal Health Organization
• Mary Elizabeth Harriman, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
• Jane MacDonald, Canadian Nurses Association
• Stefani Meaney, Leave the Pack Behind
• Millicent Toombs, Canadian Medical Association
   

Project Results

The work of Respecting the Air We Breathe resulted in a number of products and key findings. Products include the literature review, message/resource inventory, focus group data analysis summary report, four second-hand smoke message concepts targeted to young adults, and final project report. Findings from  Respecting the Air We Breathe indicated that efforts to reduce Canadian young adults' exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke should be undertaken with expediency. There is a need to reduce the social acceptability of second-hand smoke, particularly in certain regions of the country and among certain sub-groups of young adults.
 

Invitation to Use  Respecting the Air We Breathe Products

To this end, products of  Respecting the Air We Breathe are available for use by agencies, non-governmental organizations and governments interested in learning about health-related, young adult messages. Health educators are invited to adapt and disseminate the message concepts to meet their specific requirements. It is hoped that sharing these resources will contribute to the growing body of knowledge about young adults as a target audience for tobacco control interventions and lead to a reduction in exposure to second-hand smoke and its social acceptability among Canadian young adults.

Respecting the Air We Breathe was funded by the Tobacco Control Programme, Health Canada.