The youth tobacco access project was made possible by a grant from the National Cancer Institute to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Leonard Jason, at DePaul University. The Tobacco Access Project is a five-year study, beginning in July 2001, designed to evaluate the impact of community laws on children’s tobacco use.

Tobacco use is a critical national health problem. University researchers and health officials are working with towns to help them find the best way to prevent youth from using tobacco. Projects like DePaul’s are desperately needed to find the best way to prevent tobacco use among youth.

Your community is one of twenty-four randomly selected towns in Illinois participating in this important project. The staff at the Youth Tobacco Access Project are working collaboratively with your town’s School Administrators, Police, and City Officials.

Youth all across the country are getting involved with Universities, Police Departments, and Health Departments to find out how available tobacco is to youth in their communities.

The only way to discover whether tobacco retailers sell tobacco products to people under the age of 18 is to use a procedure called a Tobacco Purchase Attempt (or TPA). During a typical TPA, a youth aged 15 or 16 attempts to purchase cigarettes from a tobacco retailer or a vending machine under the direction and supervision or authorized officials.

It is essential for us to measure the rate of tobacco sales to youth in your community. This summer, we need youth like yourself to become "field agents" in your town to help us conduct the TPAs. Find out how to become a field agent for DePaul’s Youth Tobacco Access Project by reading our Frequently Asked Questions section.

Why are so many kids becoming youth field agents? In addition to being paid $5.50 per hour, you will be an important part of a community action project designed to bring about change in tobacco use among children. This kind of community service may count for credit at your school and will look good on job and college applications. In addition, participating in this project will give you first hand experience with field research.

What do I have to do during a Tobacco Purchase Attempt (TPA)? An adult research team member will drive you to businesses that sell tobacco in your town. You will enter the store, go up to the counter and ask the clerk for a pack of cigarettes. We don’t try to trick or deceive the clerks; if a clerk asks your age, you will tell them your true age. The clerk will either sell you a pack of cigarettes or they will not. You and a member of our staff will then fill out a short survey about the TPA. Any cigarettes purchased by you will not be smoked by anyone – they will be destroyed.

How much time will this take? TPAs will take place during the summer on weekdays and Saturdays. In addition to the one and one half-hour training session, you will participate in at least one full day of TPAs in your town.

Can I be a field agent? You must have your parents’ permission to participate. Our project requires field agents to be 15 or 16 years old. Youth used for the purchase attempts must look between 14 and 17 years old. Youth who look younger, regardless of their actual age, can unfortunately not be used in our study. Your local contact person can help you determine if you qualify to be a field agent. You will also have to attend a local TPA training session.

What is the training like? A one and one half-hour training and orientation session for you and your parents will be held in your town. Our project staff will instruct you in the specific procedures of a TPA, including what to say and how to act while you are in a store trying to purchase tobacco. The training involves practicing TPA techniques and a discussion to help you become comfortable and confident during a TPA.

How do I make sure it is okay with my parents? You need your parent or guardian’s permission in order to participate in this project. Please share this brochure with your parents and talk to them about becoming a field agent. Encourage them to call any of the contacts listed on this brochure if they have any questions. Both you and your parents will have to sign consent forms. Your parents will also be given the opportunity to personally meet our staff in your town. Please ask your parents to read the section in this brochure written especially for them.

Who should I talk to in my community about this project? School Administrators, police officers, and community groups support the Youth Tobacco Access Project in your town. The local contact person listed below will be able to answer questions about the project and its involvement on your community. They can also help determine of you are right for this project.

If your child is interested in serving as a youth "field agent" for the Youth Tobacco Access Project at DePaul University, they need your permission. We hope that the following information will help you decide if this community action project is right for your child. You may also call any of the contacts listed on this brochure for more information.

National Cancer Institute The Youth Tobacco Access Project is supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute. The National Cancer Institute has provided  billions of dollars to organizations and institutions across the country that are working to find solutions to our nation’s health and healthcare problems. The goal of their program is to promote health and reduce the personal, social, and economic harm cause by substance abuse.

Youth Tobacco Use Tobacco use by youth has a profound effect on our Nation’s health. You may have already read or heard some of the distressing statistics presented in this brochure. A variety of interventions have been developed with the intent of reducing youth tobacco use. Some interventions have focused on education and programming, others on the social environment that affects youth behavior and attitudes. Still others, like the Youth Tobacco Access Project, have focused on reducing the availability of tobacco products to youth.

Restricting Youth Access to Tobacco In light of the recent settlement by tobacco corporations with various states, public health officials are very interested in discovering whether specific community strategies are effective in reducing youth tobacco use. Enforcing the laws that prohibit the sale of tobacco products to minors might be an effective community strategy in reducing the rate of teenage smoking and other tobacco use.

Youth Tobacco Access Project The Youth Tobacco Access Project, headed by Dr. Leonard Jason, aims to systematically examine the impact of community strategies on the rate of tobacco use among , 7^th through 12^th grade students. This project is working with ten communities over a three-year period, beginning in July 2001. It is our hope that the information gained from this study will help other researchers and public health officials across the nation develop more effective interventions.

Our Staff Dr. Jason has researched youth tobacco access and community action for more than 20 years and has written hundreds of articles on these topics. For a listing of Dr. Jason’s representative publications and professional activities, please see DePaul’s Department of Psychology website at www.depaul.edu/~psych. Steven B. Pokorny is Director of the Youth Tobacco Access Project. He has over ten years of experience conducting youth substance abuse research and implementing community action projects.

Local Community Action Youth all across the country are getting involved with Universities, Police Departments and Health Departments to help measure how available tobacco products are to children in their communities. A Tobacco Purchase Attempt is the only way to discover whether tobacco retailers in your community sell tobacco products to people under the age of 18. Many Police Departments conduct similar purchase attempts for tobacco and alcohol, which they call compliance checks or "stings".

Your Child By becoming part of this local community action project, your child can help bring about community change – a crucial step in reducing youth tobacco use. Both you and your child will sign a consent form to indicate your willingness to participate. We encourage you to discuss this project with your child and to contact us if you have any questions. You may also attend the training session in your town, where you can meet projectstaff and talk to other participating parents and children.

Contacts:

In your town please contact:

At DePaul University, please contact:

Steven B. Pokorny, Project Director 773.325.1892