In an attempt to combat these efforts, the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation (TUPCF) launched a $50 million, four year countermarketing campaign to reduce tobacco use in Ohio. The campaign is themed “stand", as it encourages Ohioans to take a stand against tobacco use. Using print and broadcast advertising, public relations, and interactive and community-based activities, the stand campaign focuses on youth between the ages of 11 and 15, as well as adults who are at risk.

In order to ensure that the stand message would be well received by young people, TUPCF developed a youth advisory panel to aid in the development of the different aspects of the campaign. Fifty students from across the state were selected to serve on four different panels:

• The Advertising Advisory Panel aids in the development of print and broadcast ads, providing the youth perspective.
• The Outreach Team serve as ambassadors by gaining public support for the campaign, speaking to both youth and adults about how they can become involved in community events. They also aid in the development of methods to spread the stand message.
• The Music Tour Committee has helped to form the "stand up, sound off" music tour and contest, as well as serving as judges f or the contest.
• The Interactive Coinmittee assists in the development of the stand youth website, which includes interactive polls, games, music, activities, tobacco information, and more.

To learn more about the stand campaign, visit the youth web site at www.standonline.org, or the TUPCF web site at www.standohio.org.