Fostering Tobacco Control and Prevention Efforts Nationwide
This is an exciting time for tobacco control advocates and health policy experts. Although tobacco use remains the country’s number one preventable cause of death and disease, recently announced federal initiatives have been designed to step up efforts to reduce tobacco use, invest in local tobacco control efforts, and expand access to tobacco cessation services. Some of these federal initiatives include:
The new Surgeon General’s report on tobacco, titled How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease, a 700+ page scientific report reviews the evidence on the mechanisms by which smoking causes disease.
The Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) new strategic plan, titled “Ending the Tobacco Epidemic: A Tobacco Control Strategic Action Plan,” which outlines specific, evidence-based actions that will help create a society free of tobacco-related death and disease.
The official announcement of Healthy People 2020, which has an emphasis on reducing tobacco use by the year 2020.
Also, through a grant with DHHS, SOPHE is assisting communities across the United States to reduce tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke. Through the Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grant, SOPHE is partnering with the American Lung Association and the Academy of Pediatrics to provide technical support and guidance to assist CDC-funded communities to achieve tobacco policy, systems, and environmental changes.
Through evidence-based initiatives, funded communities are encouraged to use proven strategies, or “MAPPS” to promote change. These strategies include: working with the Media to restrict advertising and promote counter-advertising for tobacco use; reducing Access to tobacco products; restricting Point of purchase advertising; encouraging strategies to increase the Price of tobacco and ban free samples; and promoting and Supporting cessation services, including state quitlines.
In November, SOPHE began assisting communities with implementing evidence based strategies. For example, through SOPHE membership expertise, two communities in Iowa are receiving technical assistance to develop effective and sustainable coalitions. These coalitions will be critical in tobacco control efforts, such as keeping tobacco retailers from selling products within 2,000 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds, and daycare centers. SOPHE is also supporting community efforts to work with local media outlets to raise awareness about the importance of tobacco control ordinances, the dangers of tobacco use and exposure to second hand smoke, and the magnitude involved in keeping youth from using tobacco.
For more information on these federal initiatives or SOPHE’s efforts under the CPPW project, contact Meaghan McHugh (mmchugh@sophe.org).