Working to Inspire Social Change

Since 1990, the California Tobacco Control Program (CTCP) has been producing hard-hitting educational ads that have contributed to a significant decrease in the number of Californians who smoke by changing the social acceptance of tobacco use.

California's ads have successfully worked to:

• Reduce secondhand smoke exposure.
• Counter the tobacco industry's deceptive marketing efforts to hook new users.
• Motivate tobacco users to quit and promote free services to help them succeed.
• Educate on the harmful effects toxic tobacco waste has on the environment.

The CTCP Media Campaign includes television, radio, print and billboard ads, as well as online efforts in several languages, including English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Vietnamese. Additional efforts have also been crafted for the state's military personnel; college-aged youth; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations; as well as Filipino, Japanese, Hmong, Laotian, Thai, Cambodian and Native American communities.

California's diverse populations are affected by tobacco differently; therefore, it is essential to reach each group with culturally-appropriate messages.

African Americans

African Americans were seen as a "new market" for the tobacco industry in the early 20th century because they smoked far less than others. The tobacco industry studied every facet of the African American community and used the findings to successfully market their deadly products, especially menthol cigarettes. This community's smoking rate (18 men and 15 women out of every 100 smoke) ¹ is higher than the general population, and has the highest lung cancer and death rates in California. ²

Asians

While many Asian women in California have very low smoking rates (for example, only 1 out of every 100 Vietnamese women smoke),³ many Asian men smoke at very high rates, including Korean men (36 out of every 100)⁴ and Vietnamese men (31 out of every 100).⁴ This shows that it is critical to continue to educate on the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, the benefits of quitting tobacco and how Asian communities are targeted by the tobacco industry.

Latinos

Among Latinos in California, twice as many men smoke (17 out of every 100 smoke) as women (6 out of every 100), and secondhand smoke exposure continues to be a serious concern.¹ The tobacco industry's deceptive practices include financially supporting scholarship programs and sponsoring cultural events in Latino communities.

LGBT

It is estimated that there are more than one million LGBT adults in California, representing almost 5 percent of the state's adult population, and 43 out of every 100 LGBT adults smoke.⁵ That's twice the rate of the general population. LGBT Californians have fought hard to be a recognized community. The tobacco industry has taken notice and is aware of the important and profitable opportunities in this large and influential community, which is why they openly target gays and lesbians.

Native Americans

For tribes throughout North America, the use of traditional tobacco plants for spiritual, ceremonial and medicinal purposes goes back thousands of years. However, commercial tobacco causes addiction and disease. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death among American Indians and Native Alaskans. ⁶

The CTCP Media Campaign is sponsored by the California Department of Public Health and is funded through the voter-approved Tobacco Tax and Health Protection Act, through the passage of Proposition 99 in 1988. For more information about the program, click here.