Specifications include, but are not limited to: It is the intent of the State of South Carolina, Division of Procurement Services and the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control’s (DHEC) Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control (Tobacco Division) to solicit proposals from qualified applicants for professional media, marketing, engagement, and graphic design services related to youth commercial tobacco prevention. All marketing, media, youth engagement, and graphic design services will be developed, implemented, and evaluated appropriately to decrease youth tobacco use, decrease initiation of use, and to promote quitting. In an effort to facilitate complete proposals, it is important that offerors know the overall goals and objectives of the Tobacco Division related to youth. The measurable long-term program objectives that are relevant are: • Decrease prevalence of current e-cigarette use among high school aged youth from 22% to 17% and adults aged 18-24 from 17% to 12%. • Decrease the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among males (grades 9-12) from 6% to 4%. In order to reach these long term objectives, considerable work needs to be done to change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors around commercial tobacco use and to reduce susceptibility of young people to using commercial tobacco products. Current efforts from the Division include increasing education and awareness among youth with messaging that recognizes the influence of peers and the impact of specific social and environmental factors on commercial tobacco use (social determinants of health and mental/behavioral health, for example). Direct engagement at the local/community level, supplemented with education, information, resources, and paid media counter-marketing activities are proven strategies to reduce overall tobacco use, youth tobacco use, smokeless tobacco use and initiation.
