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The goal of the Strength in Numbers campaign is to use the social norms marketing prevention approach to reduce alcohol and tobacco use among Evanston Township High School (ETHS) students. The campaign informs students, parents, school staff and other community members that the majority of ETHS students choose not to use alcohol or tobacco.

Evanston Township High School is the only public high school in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb directly north of Chicago. The high school serves the multiracial city of Evanston and a small portion of the neighboring village of Skokie, for a total district population of approximately 78,000. Together the two communities offer an ethnic, economic, racial and cultural diversity that is richly reflected in the student body. Each year, there are approximately 3,000 students enrolled at ETHS.

Social Norms Marketing
Social Norms Marketing is the process of applying marketing concepts to social and health issues in order to promote positive, true norms practiced by the majority of a group or population through mass media

" If you can reduce the number of students who believe a false norm, then you will increase the number of students who will exhibit behaviors consistent with the "healthy" true norm." (Action Newsletter, April/May/June 1998)

When applied to teen substance abuse prevention, Social Norms Marketing is based on the following principles:

Social Norms Marketing is being successfully used across the country in statewide campaigns, colleges, high schools and with other populations to communicate true, positive norms and reduce at-risk behaviors.

To learn more, visist www.socialnorm.org

Strength in Numbers Objectives
The Strength in Numbers campaign began in November of 2001, after 15 months of community planning. The campaign is sponsored by the Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council (ESAPC). The mission of the ESAPC, founded in 1984, is to strive to increase community awareness of, and address problems caused by alcohol, tobacco and other drugs through networking and collaborative project planning.

The campaign objectives are as follows:

Each year the ETHS student body is surveyed using the Social Marketing Survey (developed and analyzed by the Center for Prevention Research and Development at the University of Illinois). A sample of ETHS parents and school staff are also surveyed each year. Students, parents and school staff also participate in focus groups to test campaign strategies and marketing materials.

Strength in Numbers Marketing Strategies
Each month new posters are displayed at ETHS. Postcards are mailed home to students and parents throughout the year. Promotional items (memo boards, notepads, pens, key chains, water bottles and magnets) are distributed at school and community events. Ads have been placed at the local Century Movie Theatre during holidays and summer breaks. Newspaper ads are placed in community and school papers. Contests and presentations are conducted periodically with students, parents, school staff and community members to reinforce the campaign message.

Strength in Numbers Survey Results
2001 – 2003 Comparison:
New data after the 2nd year of the campaign show the following results:

A 4% decrease in the percentage of ETHS students who use tobacco regularly*
A 5% decrease in the percentage of ETHS students who use alcohol regularly*
(*regular use = monthly, weekly and daily use).

The above statistics represent the actual decrease in regular use from 2001 to 2003. The 4 percentage point decrease in tobacco represents a 25% reduction in prevalence and the 5 percentage point decrease in alcohol use equals an 11% reduction in prevalence.

Inaccurate perceptions about the number of ETHS students who choose not to use alcohol and tobacco all decreased among students, parents and school staff.

2004 Results:
86% of ETHS students choose not to smoke cigarettes (never or 1-2 times a year).
76% of ETHS students choose not to drink alcohol when they hang out with friends.
73% of ETHS students choose not to smoke marijuana (never or 1-2 times a year).
96% of ETHS students NEVER use club drugs (ecstasy, GHB, ketamine).

80 % of ETHS students report having heard the message "most ETHS students choose not to use alcohol regularly" from their parents or teachers.
75% of ETHS students report having heard the message "most ETHS students choose not to smoke cigarettes for a variety of positive reasons" from their parents or teachers.

(Sources: 2001 Drug Perceptions and Use Survey. N=2,010 ETHS students.
2003 Social Marketing Survey. N=2,192 ETHS students. 2004 Drug Perceptions and Use Survey. N=1,982 ETHS students.)

Strength in Numbers Funding
The campaign is funded by grants from:
Drug-Free Communities Support Program* (FY04 and FY05)
The Chicago Community Trust (FY03 and FY04)
The Evanston Community Foundation (FY02)
Illinois Tobacco-Free Communities Evanston Health Department Grant (FY01 - FY05)
The Illinois Department of Human Services (staff support)
The Rotary Club of Evanston Lighthouse (FY02 - FY05)
First Congregational Church of Evanston (FY 03)

(*The Drug-Free Communities Support Program is overseen by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The funding cycle is October 2003 through September 2004.)

The following Evanston businesses have generously contributed in-kind donations:
American Cancer Society (North Shore)
Century Theatres
Clean Plate Club
Dave’s Italian Kitchen
Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop
Evanston Mental Health Board
Evanston Township High School
Generation Copy
Hecky’s Bar-BQ
J.K. Sweets
Jamba Juice
Kendall College Culinary School
LuLu’s Dim Sum and Then Sum
PEER Services, Inc.
Potbelly Sandwich Works
Prairie Moon
SAM’s Club