Trumpeter

Palmetto Health Trumpeter Campaign and Contest

The Office of Community Health is proud to serve as a local resource providing youth tobacco use prevention education to middle and high school students. This year, the Trumpeter Campaign has teamed up with the Teen Health Initiative's Teen Talk program. The Trumpeter Campaign has two components: an educational/awareness program and a contest.

Educational/Awareness Program
The educational and awareness programs begin in early February and last until the beginning of March. Schools currently participating in the Teen Talk program will learn details about the Trumpeter Campaign from their community advocates. Schools not participating in the Teen Talk program will be offered a one-time assembly to sixth grade students. Trained speakers will deliver the tobacco prevention message to students utilizing the CDC's MediaSharp curriculum. The presentation involves active student participation and a video addressing the powerful effect that media has on a young person's decision to use or not to use tobacco products. The in-school presentations ask students to think critically about the influence of advertising on tobacco use. The students are also asked to answer a few questions about their opinions and beliefs concerning tobacco use after the presentation. 

More than 23,000 sixth-grade students have participated since the Campaign began in 1998, illustrating the success the Campaign has had in getting local students to start thinking about the relationship of tobacco, advertising and cancer.

Contest
As a follow-up and reinforcing activity, students are encouraged to participate in the second component - the contest portion. The contest begins in February and ends in March. Students are encouraged to become positive peer role models by creating counter-advertisements for tobacco products -advertisements that tell the truth about tobacco! Learn more about the contest. 

Originating in Richland County School District One middle schools, the Campaign has expanded to include additional area school districts:

• Richland Two
• Kershaw
• Lexington One, Two, Three and Four
• Lexington/Richland Five
• Fairfield 

For more information, call (803) 296-3070.

Funding for the Trumpeter Campaign is provided by Palmetto Health's Cancer Health Initiative.