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To assess what volunteers‐ and ministers of faith‐based organizations (FBO) think about their own expertise in delivering a tobacco prevention initiative, the impact of such an initiative on youth, their potential for burnout in doing so, and their interest in other health initiatives.

A total of 149 volunteers and ministers attending a tobacco prevention workshop anonymously answered questions about its impact, and their own expertise, potential for burnout, and interest in other health initiatives.

Respondents strongly endorsed their personal expertise and the impact of tobacco prevention on youth. On burnout, ministers were significantly lower (an average answer of “don't know”) than teachers and others (an average answer of “disagree”); on other health initiatives, ministers were significantly more interested (an average answer of “strongly”) than teachers (an average answer of “moderately”). All were significantly more positive about offering other health initiatives if they had materials than if they had money.

Most respondents were African‐American, a higher percentage of ministers were men than among those in other positions, and all respondents came from a church that applied for, and received, a tobacco‐prevention grant – points that limit generalizability.

Those responsible for health initiatives would be well advised to direct their resources into developing appropriate materials rather than into paying people to deliver the programs.

Although FBOs provide fertile ground for health initiatives such as tobacco prevention, ministers may be more susceptible to burnout than volunteers.

The purpose of this research is to assess whether differences occurred between directors and staff in community tobacco use prevention coalitions in Mississippi. Community coalitions, which are organizations working together for a common purpose involve representatives of diverse institutions focusing on issues in a local community. Because of their different roles, directors and support staff may view their coalition differently.

Thirty directors and 14 support staff of tobacco use prevention coalitions anonymously answered a lengthy questionnaire about their coalition personnel and functioning.

Both coalition directors and support staff agreed that their coalition had formal rules and effective management, reduced tobacco use, and benefited their region. In addition, directors and support staff reported high ownership, and positive opinions of member and personnel expertise. Further, directors and support staff favored taking tobacco industry money for themselves or their coalition. However, directors and support staff were neutral in satisfaction and in difficulty managing their coalition, and slightly negative in ratings of member‐member and member‐personnel communication, directors more negative than support staff on member‐personnel communication.

Strengthening communication seems to be a place where there is room for improvement in the present tobacco use prevention coalitions.

Presently, those actually working in a tobacco use prevention coalition were still idealistic about their efforts, but continued frustrations with communication may dampen their enthusiasm in the future.

To examine a tobacco prevention elementary school project completed in 2000 in one rural state in the southeastern USA.

Initially, 721 public school fourth through sixth grade teachers across Mississippi attended (for reimbursement) a tobacco prevention workshop that included curriculum‐integrated material; 658 completed a follow‐up questionnaire (91.3 percent return rate). In addition, 1,762 of their students completed an anti‐tobacco pre‐test and 1,723 (868 girls, 853 boys) completed an anti‐tobacco post‐test (97.8 percent return rate).

Students improved from pre‐ to post‐test; girls scored better than boys. African American students and teachers completed more lessons than White students and teachers. Sixth graders completed fewer lessons and scored lower than fourth and fifth graders.

The test had a yes‐no format and a low ceiling, so many students answered correctly at pretest. Also, teachers were mostly white women, though they were demographically similar to teachers across the state, other groups would expand generalizability. Further, a true control group could evaluate the possibility that results were due to a secular trend.

Not only were teachers positive about a tobacco prevention workshop that included curriculum integrated materials, but also their students scored healthier after having tobacco prevention lessons. Further, those who received the most lessons improved the most, indicating a dose‐specific learning curve.

A challenge for the future would be to assess whether these improvements continue over the long term, and translate into less willingness to experiment with and use tobacco.