American Journal of Public Health – Social media has been embraced as a tool for public health promotion.^1–6 However, effective strategies for harnessing the capabilities of social media remain unclear.^7–9 For example, many state and local health departments have adopted Facebook and Twitter accounts, yet public engagement with these accounts varies.^10–12 Several Web-based interventions for smoking cessation have been developed, but few tobacco prevention Web sites allow users to share links via social media.^13,14 While YouTube videos with health messages have amassed millions of views, such as a popular video targeting soft drink consumption, their long-term impact is difficult to evaluate.^15,16 In general, innovative approaches to disseminating health information must be developed to match the behavior and expectations of the public.¹⁷ (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print July 17, 2014: e1–e3. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302088)

By Austin S. Kilaru, MD, David A. Asch, MD, MBA, Allison Sellers, BA, and Raina M. Merchant, MD, MSHP

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