In spite of the known risks involved, teen smoking is a perennial public health problem. Today, after a decade of intense research and development, there are many approaches for combating tobacco use, and media literacy has been identified as a proven resiliency skill.
Media literacy offers an innovative entry point for delivering tobacco education, providing a way to integrate into other curricular areas while intervening at a critical time in teens' lives. Teens often look to media to see how the adult world works. It's crucial that they bring to their multi-media experience the ability to question and challenge how the media world differs from real life.
Smoke Detectors! is a health-related training program and curriculum designed by CML with funding by the County of Orange (CA) Health Care Agency Tobacco Use Prevention Program (TUPP), through the Tobacco-Free Communities (TFC) project. Smoke Detectors! addresses the issue of product placement of tobacco product in movies, TV, and videogames through innovative lesson plans and a one-week student-led contest. The program takes an elapsed time of about two weeks to implement, from start to finish. Professional development for teachers and a communications campaign by students leaders are also features of the program.