This is a request for an administrative supplement for the Phase II SBIR grant 9R44GM130155- 02: Interactive Digital Media to Support Children's Learning about Tobacco and the Human Body (D. Rawitsch, PI). We now need to add an important new feature. Because this grant deals with a fast changing social issue, tobacco use by adolescents, it is important to keep the digital media being created as up to date as possible. In the two years since the Phase II proposal was submitted, the use of e-cigarettes has become a top concern for schools. [1] Work on the Phase II SBIR began in March, 2018. Steady progress has been made on determining educational goals, researching and selecting content, creating a storyline and scripting, drafting artwork, and finalizing school agreements for research participation. The framework is established for significantly upgrading the prototype game and getting it ready for school testing in spring, 2019. But it is critical that the topic of e-cigarettes be covered comprehensively, which can be accomplished using the supplemental funds requested. The administrative supplement funds will be used to create e-cigarettes content using the Unity game engine with a multi-platform approach targeting Mac, Windows, iPad tablet, Android tablet and Google Chromebook installations. Unity is an industry-leading and widely supported development platform for creating 2D and 3D interactive content.
In 2012, five percent of eighth grade students reported having had their first cigarette by the end of fifth grade (ages 10 to 11). If current trends continue, 5.6 million children under the age of 18 who are alive today will ultimately die from smoking-related diseases.
