OUTLINE Goals Objectives To increase coaches, players and parents knowledge about various aspects addiction. By the end of this learning session, participants will: 1. List 3 pressures to use tobacco 2. Describe 3 refusal strategies 3. Understand how the tobacco industry targets/ markets to youth Coach/ Facilitator Role 1. Review the Participant Handouts and Background information and ensure you know and understand the module content before you proceed. 2. Photocopy the Participant Handouts, Activity Sheets and Evaluation Forms. 3. Provide each player a copy of the Participant Handouts and Activity Sheet(s). 4. Depending on the size of the team, you may want to split the team into 2 or more discussion groups. Have the participants review the information in the handouts and complete the Activity. If you split into groups, complete the Activity, then share answers with the large group. 5. Add additional comments and information from the Background materials as needed to ensure that complete information is covered and help to facilitate discussion. Evaluation Background 1. Distribute the Participant Evaluation Forms, instruct participants not to put their name or other identifying information on the evaluations and collect them after completion. 2. Complete the Coach/ Facilitator Evaluation Form. 3. Review evaluations to assess the participants learnings, behaviors. 4. Submit evaluations to CATRAC for the 2008-9 season as per instructions included in the Introduction. 1. Pressure to Use 2. A Pitch No One Wants to Handle Activity Participant Handouts A Winning Strategy You ve Got Game 1
BACKGROUND Pressure to Use This module is similar to both the peer pressure module and the social norms module. There are various ways and means an individual can perceive pressure to try or use spit tobacco. These can influence a person s decision-making process and come from a diverse variety of sources. Media images can influence what people consider normal. When we use the term media, we are talking about all the images that inundate our daily lives. The images can come from TV, movies, radio advertising, Internet, newspapers, magazines, music and the related videos, art work/ imaging, comic books, as well as sports cards and photos. The media can portray images of people using spit tobacco and associate positive lifestyles to the behavior, such as catchy taglines and imagery. The images themselves can also sell not only a product but suggest lifestyles that include, popularity, wealth, attractiveness to and success with the opposite sex or positive physical attributes (beauty, physical strength, or excellence at sports). Media can also enforce urgency to try or to use tobacco by linking it to other trigger images such as biting into a burger, pouring alcohol, or other things that look tantalizing. The tobacco industry uses the media through paid advertising and product placement at sports events (Rodeo, Formula 1 racing) to promote their products. They also tailor many of their products to entice youth to try it or to make it taste and smell better to kids. Flavored products (like cherry, bubblegum and mint) mask the harsh taste of the tobacco. Many of these products contain more than 30% sugar to sweeten the taste and appeal to kids. Sweet and flavored products seem less harmful to new users who are curious about what these products are like. 1 Sport heroes are often used by the tobacco industry to influence decision-making and behavior choices about tobacco use. When youth see a hero or role model using or promoting tobacco, this can influence them to try the products and about the acceptability of tobacco use. Major league baseball and rodeo organizations have recognized that their players have been used to promote their products to kids and have turned the tables on big tobacco by launching their own campaigns to discourage young players/ competitors from trying spit tobacco. They are using this type of countermarketing strategy to reduce the influence of the tobacco industry marketing on youth. 2 The same is also true about friends and family. If trusted family members are using tobacco, they are demonstrating that tobacco use is acceptable and is commonplace or normal behavior as an adult. Tobacco use may become a part of how the family defines itself. 1 Periodontal Effects and Dental Caries Associated with Smokeless Tobacco Use JANE A. WEINTRAUB, DDS, MPH, BRIAN A. BURT, BDS, MPH, PhD. Consensus Development Conference on Health Implications of Smokeless Tobacco, held at the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, Bethesda, MD, January 14, 1986. 2 National Spit Tobacco Education Program. A Winning Combination. 2001 2
BACKGROUND A Pitch No One Wants to Handle What you need to know about how the tobacco industry influences kids Tobacco advertising uses images rather than information to portray the attractiveness and function of smoking. Themes correlated with psychosocial factors that appeal to young people. - Independence - Healthfulness - Adventure-seeking - Youthful activities Tobacco Industry presence/ advertising at sporting events; - Rodeo - Formula 1 Racing - World Cup Soccer - Major league baseball Tobacco Industry Misinformation about the relative safety of spit tobacco - Substitute for smoking when/ where smoking is not permitted - Safer than cigarettes Coach as Role Model You have many opportunities to influence your team. They listen to what you say and watch what you do on and off the field. Be the person they choose to imitate. You have an important role to play in helping your team develop healthy attitudes and behaviors including the decision not to use tobacco products. Share the truth about smokeless tobacco with your team. You set the code of conduct for the team; not alcohol, drugs or tobacco. 3
PARTICIPANT ACTIVITY SHEET Topic: A Winning Strategy Task: Develop a team strategy and support plan to play the game without spit tobacco. 1. Discuss / list sources of pressure to try/ use spit tobacco: - Media - Tobacco industry - Heroes - Family/ friends 2. Discuss ways to counter the pressures as a team and as individual team members. 3. Create personal / team script to refuse. 4. Practice with a team / family member. Periodontal Effects and Dental Caries Associated with Smokeless Tobacco Use JANE A. WEINTRAUB, DDS, MPH, BRIAN A. BURT, BDS, MPH, PhD. Consensus Development Conference on Health Implications of Smokeless Tobacco, held at the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, Bethesda, MD, January 14, 1986. 4
PARTICIPANT HANDOUT You ve Got Game the Power to Avoid the Penalties of using Spit Make a joke. Sometimes humor is the best way to respond to pressure to try/ use spit tobacco while keeping things light. It can focus attention away from you and onto something else. Use the health approach. Maybe you want to be able to increase your scoring or assists for the team. Maybe you know someone who has cancer and you can see how using tobacco has messed up his or her life. Backing up your refusal with evidence or a real life story can be more powerful. Make an excuse why you can t. Maybe you have something else to do that will interfere. Or you have to be somewhere at a specific time. Or your mom will kill you. Whatever. But say it and stick to it. The power of numbers. Make a pact with your friends/ teammates to stay spit tobaccofree. Often, knowing that you have back-up you up can help you feel more confident. Sometimes we feels stronger than I. Suggest something else. Lots of kids wind up doing stuff they shouldn t because they re bored. By thinking of something better to do, you re offering everyone an out. You just might be surprised who might take you up on it Leave just walk away. If you don t like where things are headed, you can take off. It might seem risky, but with you leading the way, others who really don t want to do it either just may follow you. Change the subject. Pretend you didn t hear it, and change the topic to something else. Act like you don t think the idea was even worth discussing. Thanks, but no thanks. You can be polite, but you still aren t interested. It just isn t something you re into. Say it again. Sometimes it takes more than once, on more than one occasion. Just because someone asks more than once, that doesn t mean you have to cave. Just say no, plainly and firmly. It might be your last resort for persistent pressure. In some situations, just saying no without a lot of arguing and explaining is the best response. Make your no strong, determined and final. 5
PARTICIPANT EVALUATION Please take a moment to tell us what you thought of today s learning session on Pressure to Use 1. Have you learned something new about: Spit tobacco and your health? Yes No (circle one) How to quit? Yes No (circle one) Where to get help to quit? Yes No (circle one) 2. How could we have made this session better for you? More information Less information I liked I didn t like More time Less time Other: 3. Please answer the following: a) Are you currently using spit tobacco? Yes, I am currently using spit tobacco (Even 1 pinch/ pouch in the last 2 weeks) No, I quit within the last 6 months No, I quit more than 6 months ago No, I have never used spit tobacco 6
COACH/ FACILITATOR EVALUATION 1. Were the participants able to: a. Understand the importance of quitting all forms of tobacco. Yes No (circle one) b. Recognize the importance of positive role models and support to support a tobacco-free lifestyle. Yes No (circle one) c. Know 3 resources available to support quitting and how to access them. Yes No (circle one) 2. How many participants were in attendance? 3. Was the activity appropriate for the group? If not, why? 4. Did you implement the activity as outlined, or did you have to alter the plan to suit the group? If altered, what changes did you make? 7