Sample Script for Sporting Event Awareness Activity

Purpose: To increase awareness for the <School Name/District >Tobacco-free grounds policy and to educate and increase awareness of community members about the seriousness of tobacco related illnesses/death.

Opening: Once the half time begins, we will assemble on the field using the cordless mic system. We will read an introduction statement explaining what is going to be happening. From that point every 72 seconds we will blow an air horn and a tobacco fact will be read over the microphone, as the tobacco fact is read one person will go out onto the field and stand. This will be repeated for the entire halftime. Once this is done there will be approximately 12-15 people on the field and a closing statement will be read.

Introduction Script:

Good Evening <school mascot>fans! As you know in <Date <School Name/District >Grounds were declared tobacco free. This means that tobacco use including smoking or chewing is not allowed on our school grounds anywhere or at anytime! This also includes our football grounds, track or any school property or at any school sponsored events! We would like to thank you for your continued support and cooperation in keeping our grounds and air safe!

Tonight’s halftime will be a demonstration of what effects tobacco use has on all of us! Did you know that every 72 seconds someone dies from a tobacco related illness? Tonight we want to try and put this into perspective for you. In the next few minutes, please sit back, listen and watch as we show you what tobacco does…

AIR HORN…READ TOBACCO FACT

Conclusion Script:

During just this half time please notice that approximately ____ people died due to the lasting effects of tobacco use. These victims could have been your friends, your family, co-workers, your neighbor, or even you. Tobacco affects all of us! Remember… the power of choice is yours!

Thank you for your attention tonight, this halftime was brought to you by <School group or local youth group >!

TOBACCO FACTS:

  1. Tobacco Companies make $1.8 billion dollars from under age sales
  2. 2,000 teens start smoking every day
  3. Tobacco use accounts for 1/3 of all cancers
  4. BIG Tobacco makes a product that kills 440,000 Americans every year
  5. Roughly 1 out of every 5 deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to tobacco products.
  6. Secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually among adult nonsmokers.
  7. An estimated 30,513 (or 20%) high school and 7,900 (7%) middles school students smoke cigarettes in Iowa.
  8. An estimated 12,205 (8%) high school and 2,257 (2%) middle school students use spit tobacco.
  9. Half of high school smokers and 43% of middle school smokers say they want to quit!
  10. More than 1/5 of all middle and high school smokers in Iowa tried to quit more than twice in the last year
  11. In 2004, 67% of high school and 50% of middle school smokers in Iowa either borrowed or had others buy cigarettes for them. Only 9% of high school and 4% of middle school tobacco users obtain tobacco from stores

LAST FACTS:

  • JUST ELIMINATE LIES (JEL) Iowa’s youth –led tobacco use prevention program, directly involves over 4,500 youth aged 13-24 from across the state.
  • An overwhelming majority (87%) of high school and middle school students believe that the JEL tobacco use prevention program is doing a good job of getting the anti-tobacco message across to teens.