“Smoking is a big problem in our state,"  Nixon said. "If we can stop smoking at a young age, I think it will make a big difference.”
Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) worked with Fox Sports Midwest to produce the PSA will be shown at Major and Minor League Baseball games and played on the radio. Margaret Donnelly, director of DHSS, emphasized the impact media has on youth and said media is one way to change norms surrounding smoking, and she hopes the ad will help change attitudes. The PSA, titled “Strike out Tobacco,” will be shown on the big screen during baseball games in St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield.

Scott Stevens of the Cardinals staff received much appreciation as he handed students Cardinals T-shirts, hats, and tickets. Adam Wainwright spent time afterward to sign autographs and take pictures with the students. Wainwright’s generosity with his time was an unexpected reward for the young health advocates who have spent the last year studying the negative effects of tobacco use on individuals, communities, and global ecology.  Wainwright reinforced the feelings of the parents, teachers, and principals working with these students. “When you can reach kids before they make bad decisions, they are less likely to make bad decisions that cost them later on in their lives," he said. For a behind the scenes look at the PSA production, visit www.showmesmokefree.com.