Winner of the UAPB/MISRGO/SOS Soccer Contest Talks About Quitting Smoking

The Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office (MISRGO) at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) and Stamp Out Smoking (SOS) has successfully completed a public education initiative to encourage Hispanic men to quit smoking by giving away a sweepstakes package for four to a soccer game in Dallas, Texas.  The initiative was entitled “Be the best man you can be, for you and your family! Smoke-free!”

MISRGO/UAPB and SOS in partnership with Univision Arkansas announced the Grand Prize Winner Friday, July 12, on-the-air.  Mr. Alejandro Garcia and his family won four tickets to a soccer game in Dallas, Texas this fall; a one night stay in a Dallas hotel; and a $100 gas card.

Monica:  Mr. Alejandro, why did you decide to call the hotline for this promotion?

Alejandro:  Well, first and foremost, to quit smoking, because I smoke.

Monica:  Why do you want to quit?

Alejandro:  First, for my health and also for my family to be healthy.

Monica:  Does your family like that you smoke?

Alejandro:  My wife says it smells bad.  Laughter.

Monica:  There is also a law, Act 811, that says you can't smoke in the car with children under the age of 14.

Alejandro:  I didn't know that, but now I do.

Monica:  So what are you going to do to help you quit smoking?

Alejandro:  I'm not going to carry cigarettes with me; I'm going to avoid areas where people are smoking; and I'm going to use patches to help me quit.

Monica:  How do you feel about winning the trip?

Alejandro:  Happy!  My family is excited too.

Monica:  Is there anything you would like to say to our audience.

Alejandro:  Nothing more than let's quit smoking for the health of our community.

New Advertising Features NBA Star!

The Minority Initiative of Stamp Out Smoking will launch this year’s public education efforts with new television and radio advertising featuring former Razorback and current Chicago Bulls player, Ronnie Brewer.

Entitled I Can’t Imagine, the TV/radio advertisements highlight Ronnie in the element that has deemed him a star - basketball. Leveraging this star power and appeal to the Minority Initiative of Stamp Out Smoking’s target audience (African American males, ages 18+), the TV/radio advertisements feature Ronnie reminiscing on the path he has taken to pave his career while underscoring how life may be totally different had he chosen to smoke.

“It was indeed a pleasure to work with Ronnie for this creative initiative,” stated Toni McCastle, Media Liaison for MISRGO and the Addiction Studies Program. “With our charge to create healthier lives in our state by sharing the life-saving benefits of tobacco cessation and encouraging minority populations to quit tobacco use, we could not have chosen a better advocate to carry this message.”

The new ads are scheduled to air in October and will run through June 2012. Click here to view photos from our exciting creative shoot with Ronnie.  Be on the lookout for the advertisements and we welcome your feedback!

Highlights from 1st Quarter 2011 – 2012

We have definitely kicked off the 1st quarter with a bang! One of our grantees, the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas (CTFA), began this fiscal year by acknowledging the institution of the new second-hand smoke law, Act 811, and the fifth anniversary of Acts 8 and 13. July 27th, CTFA successfully executed a press conference at the State Capitol Rotunda that garnered significant media coverage and support from anti-tobacco advocates across the State of Arkansas. Take a look at this link to review footage of the press conference.

Congratulations to the State of Arkansas for continuing its efforts to secure healthier futures for our valued youth!

Your MISRGO team has been busy advocating tobacco-free lives via a series of community-outreach events. Most recently, we participated in:

• UAPB Arkansas Classic Golf Tournament – September 2nd 

Toni McCastle, UAPB/SOS Media Liaison
and Chancellor Davis stand proud on the course

Toni McCastle, UAPB/SOS Media Liaison
and our golf team prep for tournament

  

• Delta Classic for Literacy “Old Skool” Concert – September 2nd 

Ruthie Johnson and Connie Robinson of MISRGO
manage booth at concert

• Mexican Independence Day – September 16th 

Yolanda Amaya and Sue Espinoza (MISRGO grantee)
manage booth at festival

Youth dancers prepare for performance

During each of these events, our dedicated team educated both African Americans and Hispanics about the ills of tobacco consumption and the availability of quitting resources via the Quit Line. From the distribution of educational materials from our booths to on-stage announcements, these events allowed us to direct our anti-tobacco messaging to our target audience in support of our on-going public education campaign. We are proud of our execution of these events and look forward to successful execution into the next quarter! 

Smokers are Cutting Back Even if It is Just a Little

To find this article on THV's website, click here.