Evaluation
As required, the final stage of the campaign will entail the evaluation of its impact in line with its specific objectives. Specifically, the evaluation shall seek to determine the levels of awareness of the program with the view of improving or making the necessary adjustments to guarantee its efficiency. In order to get a complete picture of the process, various evaluation methods shall be used. Among the most effective methods that are usually used for evaluation include questionnaires, structured interviews, focus groups, and observations (Mertens & Wilson, 2012). The details of the questionnaires will include structured questions that will seek to explore to what extent the recipients understand the adverse effects of second-hand smoking. In order to assess the effectiveness of the questionnaire, it will be necessary to test the instruments for their effectiveness.
The test will be performed by administering the questionnaire to a pilot group in order to determine whether the questions are consistent with the requirements of the campaign. Structured interviews shall be administered to community leaders, teachers, health workers, smokers to find out the degree to which they have changed their attitudes as a result of the campaign. Focus groups targeting smokers will aim at determining their willingness to change their smoking habits in a way that will deescalate the level of threat posed by second-hand smoking. According to Mertens and Wilson (2012) one of the most important objectives of program evaluation is to explore alternative ways of enhancing the positive impacts of the results with a focus on achieving the intended goals. In this regard, the evaluation will seek to explore whether there are other ways of improving the awareness of the general population to the perils of second-hand smoking.
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Considering the fact that the program aims at achieving lasting change, it will be necessary to explore ways in which the created sustainable awareness. As such, structures for sustaining the awareness may be necessary in order to promote the general health of the society. The evaluation should be continuous in order to detect issues that may arise at the different stages of the campaign. Another important objective of the evaluation process is to find out whether the instruments and methods used in the campaign have achieved the objectives for which they were intended. The focus groups shall help to find out the general opinion of the vulnerable groups regarding their level of exposure to second-hand smoke and their readiness to take measures that shall help them to limit the amount of harm that may arise from such exposure.
Reflection
Second-hand smoking remains one of the immediate health threats that continue to expose whole societies to a wide range of diseases. Overwhelming evidence shows that the increasing population of smokers, particularly in urban societies has increased the risk of different types of cancer with vulnerable groups coming from different age groups. Societies and governments have endeavored to pass laws the restrict smoking to certain places within the public spaces. Emerging trends in work-place organizations show that many organizations are taking drastic measures to prevent the prevalence of smoking within their organizations. However, there are also multiple challenges associated with controlling the smokers within many organizations. Some of the issues that have been raised relate to the trade-off between the right of the smokers and the protection of the non-smokers.
According to Wang et al, (2009) the households with smokers in many parts of China live under a constant menace of various health risks. In particular, children, pregnant women, invalids, and the elderly are some of the most vulnerable groups in such households. Many other studies have also acknowledged the fact that the difficulty of controlling smoking within households is one of the major challenges that continue to afflict many families in such homes (World Health Organization & Tobacco Free Initiative, 2007). Statistical evidence indicates that the great majority of the smokers are either the men with authority within the family structure (Vardavas et al, 2013; Hyland, Barnoya & Corral, 2012). The patriarchal nature of the Chinese society makes it difficult for such men to yield to the control of whatever family authority that may wish to control their smoking habits. The same reality also plays out in other societies around the world.
Reversing the risk posed by second-hand smoking requires the combined efforts of different levels of society working together for both short-term and long-term measures (Friedmann, 2004). Winning the cooperation of the smokers is a crucial step in the overall success of reducing the amount of risk posed by second-hand smoking. As the authorities and the society in general ponders on the most effective way of reducing the health dangers of second-hand smoke, it is necessary for the campaigners to focus on households, offices, and other places that are often overlooked in the public campaigns against second-hand smoke. Overall, the most important matter is to explore more ways of raising the awareness of the entire society about the dangers of second-hand smoking. The awareness should entail educating the public about all the dangers that are associated with second-hand smoking.
Given the fact that societies have demonstrated a general willingness to share valuable information on this subject, the campaigners should find ways of harnessing such willingness with the intention of cutting down on the risks of second-hand smoking. Schools, churches, the business community, and non-governmental institutions should collaborate with governments to help curtail the dangers of second-hand smoke across the ranks of the society.
References
Friedmann, P. (2004). Secondhand smoke . New York: Berkley Books.
Hyland, A., Barnoya, J., & Corral, J. E. (2012). Smoke-free air policies: Past, present and future. Tobacco Control, 21 (2), 154.
Mertens, D. M., & Wilson, A. T. (2012). Program evaluation theory and practice: A comprehensive guide . New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Vardavas, C. I., Fthenou, E., Patelarou, E., Bagkeris, E., Murphy, S., Hecht, S. S., . . . Kogevinas, M. (2013). Exposure to different sources of second-hand smoke during pregnancy and its effect on urinary cotinine and tobacco-specific nitrosamine (NNAL) concentrations. Tobacco Control, 22 (3), 194.
Wang, C., Ma, S. J., Xu, X. F., Wang, J., Mei, C. Z., & Yang, G. (2009). The prevalence of household second-hand smoke exposure and its correlated factors in six counties of china. Tobacco Control, 18 (2), 121.
World Health Organization., & Tobacco Free Initiative (World Health Organization). (2007). Protection from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke: Policy recommendations . Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
