William Creswell

Have you ever learned or heard about side effects of smoking? If you have, where did you learn or hear about it?

• a) School (Health Class)
• b) Media (Social Media, News, etc)
• c) Friends or Family
• d) Scholarly articles
• e) Others

If you answered “A” some of your education may have been influenced by William Creswell.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2017, the number of smokers reached its lowest point in recorded history. The percentage from 1965 was 42.4% and in 2017, the percentage dropped to 14%. The deputy director in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asserts that the decline is attributed to educating consumers about the side effects of smoking.

Thanks to the School Health Education Study, a health education program in schools, students learned the health hazards of smoking. Who initially contributed to educating people about adverse effects of smoking? William H. Creswell Jr was one of pioneers of educating people, especially youth groups.

William H. Creswell Jr. was a member and the head of the former Department of Health and Safety Studies. Several great scholars from various places conducted research on the effects of smoking together from 1963 to 1969, and Dr. Creswell was one of them. In 1970, Dr. Creswell published a report called “Youth Smoking Behavior Characteristics and their in Educational Implication.” This report analyzes smoking behaviors among youth groups. The report includes critical analysis of previous research on youth smoking, the various influential factors such as socioeconomics, anti-smoking education and methods to educate youth.

Throughout the report, he addresses why schools have to conduct anti-smoking programs and how early-prevention is crucial. At the end of the report, he emphasizes why health education is crucial: “In this society, the school is still the last chance for a controlled exposure to health education.”

On September 25, 1973, the Report of the President’s Committee on Health Education states that not every child has an opportunity to participate in school health programs due to a lack of funding and evaluation. Despite a lack of funding from the state, Creswell constantly emphasized creating the legislation that would make significant progress in school health education. His tireless work and research helped others realize how important health education is and how it can make a healthier society.