2. Determine what is going on in your community

• Determine what activities are already in place
  Check with your local community to see if there are any activities currently planned. You don’t want to reinvent the wheel! Also, find out if activities similar to those you are planning have been done in the past. Ask around! Use the Web!
• Research the biggest tobacco-related problems in your community
  What is the biggest tobacco-related problem in your community? Are stores selling tobacco to minors? Are there tobacco billboards near schools? Do youth and adults lack information about the health hazards of tobacco use? Do most restaurants have a smoking section? Is your neighborhood dirty with cigarette butts? Consider creating a survey to find out what other members of the community consider to be areas that could use your expertise. Or start by asking friends and family for testimonials about tobacco-related problems in town. Use the Web to research local statistics about particular problems.
• Choose one problem at a time
  There are very few activities that effectively target more than one problem at a time, so just choose one to start. Once you select a problem, make sure you know everything there is to know about it (statistics, consequences, etc).

GO TO STEP #3