The Don’t Be Silent About Smoking campaign was originally launched in February 2008 with ads appearing in medical journals and websites, magazines and newspapers across New York State. The ads featured striking images of healthcare providers with their mouths stitched or taped shut to dramatize the importance of clinicians talking to their patients about smoking.
The campaign was unusually successful in reaching and getting the attention of busy doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. An independent evaluation conducted by RTI International found that the campaign reached 4 out of 10 primary care physicians in the state and about one quarter of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. 80% of clinicians who saw the campaign said the ads grabbed their attention and 65% believed the ads made them think about doing more to help their patients quit smoking. Significant differences were observed in the reported behavior of health care providers who were exposed to the ads and those who were not. Compared with clinicians unfamiliar with the campaign, those who had seen the ads were significantly more likely to ask patients about tobacco use (86% vs. 80%), assess readiness to quit (85% vs. 80%), advise patients to quit (87% vs. 80%), and provide pharmacotherapy (78% vs. 65%).
Phase I of Don’t Be Silent About Smoking was followed up in October 2008 with a similar campaign targeting nurses in New York State. Phase II of the campaign, Your Patients are Listening was launched in March 2009.
2008 Campaign Downloads
You can download free posters from the Don’t Be Silent About Smoking campaign here.
PDF Posters:
