of an earlier game that
involved finding hidden
icons on the Rethink
It website, the game was developed to make young people
aware of the depths to which tobacco companies will sink when
recruiting new smokers. The goal of the game is to teach youth
about the dangers of tobacco use and to expose the lies of tobacco
executives in a fun, engaging, and entertaining format. The game
has two components. Truth & Lies was designed to inform by
sharing quick facts while players find hidden tobacco products.
Ratzie Toss is conceptually similar to the popular Angry Birds
game and reinforces the idea that throwing tobacco products in
the trash is fun. Several companion Facebook ads as well as palm
cards were developed to promote the game and reinforce the
imagery and website.
and sound effects in special physics-based gaming software. The
comic book style also helps reinforce the "bad guy/villain" theme.
So far feedback has been positive. SDDOH is currently evaluating
the project and making plans to tweak it. While participation
has been good, plans for conversion of the game to a mobile
app are being explored to allow for maximum quality game play
and increase the number of teens playing. To see the game for
yourself, go to
behaviors. In fact, there is now a peer-reviewed journal dedicated
use, and application
of game technology
for improving physical
and mental health
called Games for Health
Journal: Research,
Development, and
Clinical Applications.
the act with South Dakota Department of Health's (SDDOH) new
video game Liar! Liar! Pants on Fire!
products and reintroduce their old marketing techniques on a
whole new generation, public health has to meet them head on.
SDDOH did this by creating a novel anti-tobacco strategy as a way
to reach the same people the tobacco companies are targeting -
youth and young adults.
advertising practices. For us, it is hard to imagine there are people
who don't believe tobacco companies lie in the promotion of
their products or use those same methods today to target teens.
However, youth and young adult smokers in particular don't know
that the tobacco companies would lie or actively target and recruit
kids. Often, they do not understand why a company advertising
its product would be a problem.
with tobacco products at an early age. Therefore, SDDOH
recognized they had to find a way to reach middle school
age youth who are very digitally connected. Even youth from
lower income levels and South Dakota's large American Indian
population have Smartphones. While this age group is media
savvy, they are not as aware of the subtle marketing tactics
employed by the tobacco industry. Thus, SDDOH chose to engage
youth online via a game to educate them on this phenomenon.