WELCOME to the third edition of TTAC Exchange – a technical assistance tool that goes beyond information sharing.

TTAC Exchange is designed to offer fresh insight, take an honest and direct approach in bringing you information, strategies, and tools, and provide a gateway to resources on current tobacco control issues.

In this issue of Exchange, we will discuss the art of storytelling in tobacco control.

Data . . . we eat it, breathe it, and live it in tobacco control. It is what drives the credibility of our efforts. But, these same critical data cause a different reaction outside of the tobacco control community. As pie charts emerge and statistics run roughshod at legislative sessions and budget meetings, the reaction is often glazed eyes and perplexed looks all around.

The challenge is to make the data real, for how we communicate is sometimes more important than what we say. That’s what we’re getting at in this issue—communicating in such a way that people feel the full impact of what we’re saying.

Tobacco control is at an important juncture . . . we observe waves of success, and yet continue to see major cuts in program funding. There is also lingering resistance to invest dollars and develop the necessary policies to reduce the use of tobacco. Let’s take it to the next level and give the data the consideration they deserve . . . through the art of storytelling.

  -Dearell Niemeyer, MPH, Executive Director, TTAC

In this issue of TTAC Exchange, we explore the art of storytelling with experts Andy Goodman, Lilling Willis Sherry, Ann Houston, Scott Proescholdbell, and Dee Sanfilippo Solindas—finding out why stories are important, what elements really make them sizzle, and how stories are being used in tobacco control to make it real.

• Preparing the canvas explores with the experts the history of stories and why they are important to tobacco control
   
• Choosing your palette gets at the nuts and bolts of effective storytelling
   
• Creating a masterpiece highlights specific examples of storytelling efforts underway in tobacco control.

In August, TTAC will publish the first issue of Exchange Extra!—these special editions of the newsletter will focus on applications of the latest research at the local level, linking you directly to information and resources contributed by your peers in the field.

Next month in Extra!...
Now that we can access Tobacco Industry Documents, what should we do with them? The initial issue of Extra! shares proven ways to use these documents in countering tobacco industry tactics.

We want to hear from you…

Send a ‘letter to the editor’ to exchange@ttac.org
Selected letters will be featured in upcoming issues.