Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

Project Task: Competition

Choice of topic: Increasing number of smokers among Singaporeans aged 18-29

Current problem and why it is significant:

Prevalence of smoking amongst young Singaporeans aged 18-29 have increased 33% from 2004 to 2010.

Figure 1: smoking prevalence in Singapore

The increasein the number of smokers result in the increaseof economic and social costs of smoking in the coming

years due to rapid increase of deaths caused by tobacco smoke in Singapore1. Increase in diseases and reduced health in smokers generally2.

1 number of deaths caused by tobacco smokehttp://www.tobaccofreesingapore.info/the-facts/the-problem/

2 diseases resulting from smokinghttp://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/

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Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

Evaluation of current measures:

1. Heath Promotion Board Smoking Control Programmes for Youth3

Figure 2: Health Promotion Board website

- Informative but unappealing to youths: not interactive, wordy, lack of visual appeal.

- Little help provided for those who have already started smoking and websites are very much generalised

- unwilling to seek face-to-face help

3 Health promotion Board Smoking Control Programmes for Youthhttp://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/programmes-article/2488

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Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

2. The Smoking (Control of Advertisements and Sale of Tobacco) Act

Figure 3: Gory images on cigarette boxes

Limited impact in the long run because effect may be desensitized and most smokers actually are already aware of the consequences but still continue smoking.

Desired outcome:

To challenge young smokers to quit through developing a campaign building upon another anti-smoking campaign, I QUIT4.4 I QUIT campaign http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/11946?utm_source=vanity-url&utm_medium=offline&utm_campaign=iquithttps://www.facebook.com/IQUITClub/info

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Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

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Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

(a) Differentiate approaches for youths who prefer face-to-face help and those who prefer methods of self-help such as smartphone apps

(b) Include more incentives and have more interactive apps

With the collaboration of I QUIT campaign:

Smartphone Application to reduce Smoking addiction

Reference model: Macdonald’s surprise alarm5

Figure 4: Macdonald’s Surprise Alarm App

5 Macdonald’s Surprise Alarmhttps://www.mcdonalds.com.sg/surprisealarm/

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Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

- visually appealing, user friendly- Freebies can be redeemed at the end of challenge at

participating clinics after a smokelyser test)- smokerlyser test in the beginning conducted at

participating clinics to discourage cheating - 28days-countdown proven duration that highly reduce

dependence and crave for nicotine

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CHAT

ROOM

EVENTS

Settings

ALARM

DAYS LEFT

28Cigarette would burn out as number of daysleft decreases

A dollar would be donated to their chosen charitable organisations for

For users to motivate each other and hear out each other’sproblems and experiences. participating youth and online volunteer can understand the problems youth is and possibly

Events and activities organised by organisations to help

Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

Advertisements to publicize app

Reference Model:

Figure 5: Anti-smoking ad by Thailand Health Promotion Foundation6

6 touching anti-smoking adhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gugjMmXQrDo

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Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

SAMPLE ADVERTISEMENT:

Poster:

- sends a message that appeals to youths7

7 youths tend to be more attracted to emotional appeals in advertisinghttp://www.infojug.com/advertising-articles/types-of-advertising-appeals.html

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Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

- Interactive: challenging smokers to take on the challenge

Vending Machine: (Reference model UNICEF’s Dirty Water Campaign8)

- Should be placed at areas with usually large numbers of smokers

- Duration of activity: 3 weeks8 Dirty water Campaign by UNICEFhttp://inhabitat.com/unicefs-dirty-water-vending-machine-offers-8-flavors-of-disease/

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Works like a typical vending machine except that it accepts cigarettes rather

Items in the machine comes out at random and are changed once every week. Items represent thebenefits of quitting smoking. Items would haveI QUIT logo on them as a form of branding and advertisement as well as

Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

Evaluation of Approaches

The above approaches use emotional appeal and incentives to challenge and help the target audience overcome addiction. In the future case of the app campaign/app getting too much participation, more organizations and charity groups may be needed to continue funding this project.

Manageability:

Possible collaborators/sponsors: Health Promotion Board, Ministry of Health, Local pharmacies such as guardian and Watsons, Polyclinic

Feasibility:

For the phone application:

- cost effective as usage of the app will not cost money

- sustainable

- Challenging nature of the app

For the vending machine:

- Shock value due to modification of a very commonplace item in our daily lives

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Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

- Attracts attention effective advertising

Limitations:

- People may compromise integrity for freebies- High cost of cigarettes hence may not utilize vending

machine

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POSSIBLE INFORMATION SOURCES/RESEARCH POSSIBILITIES:About the problem

- Health risks due to smokinghttps://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/programmes-article/2490

- Increased deaths caused by tobacco smoking due to respiratory diseaseshttp://www.annals.edu.sg/pdf/41VolNo8Aug2012/V41N8p325.pdf

About current measures to manage the problem

- Find out more about current measures in other countries facing the same problem via online resources

- Tobacco control legislationhttp://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;page=0;query=DocId%3A%22c3677969-b6c7-4e25-9db4-

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Chan Yi Lin; 14S62; PI 2014 Task 2; word count: 520

9bbb1cf77967%22%20Status%3Ainforce%20Depth%3A0;rec=0

About my target audience/s and/ or Beneficiary

- Survey youths aged 18-26 to find out if they are addictedto smoking

About my ideas/approaches/strategies

- Find ways to ensures youths quit smoking in the long run- Interview doctors to find out more about how to curb

addiction

About Possible Case Studies; Reference Models

- http://news.yahoo.com/fda-launching-anti-smoking- campaign-aimed-youth-052937844--finance.html

- http://www.tobacco.org/tagged/russia

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