The American Stop Smoking Intervention Study for Cancer Prevention (ASSIST) was the largest and most comprehensive tobacco control project ever undertaken in the United States. Seventeen states, with a total population of more than 90 million people, participated in the eight-year NCI sponsored study. The primary goal of ASSIST was to reduce adult cigarette smoking prevalence in the participant states to no more than 17% by 1998. In order to achieve this goal, the project focused on high-risk groups, including Latino populations. Now that the project has been completed, it is time to establish the degree to which the intervention produced the intended impact, and how Latino needs were addressed and integrated into the ASSIST structure. This paper presents the theoretical framework used by ASSIST, explains how Latino needs were integrated into this framework, and discusses whether the statistical data accurately reflects the efforts made by the program to address tobacco issues among Latinos. Finally, the paper provides suggestions for future interventions.
Learning Objectives: Participants in this session will have the opportunity to: 1. Discuss issues related to the NCI Tobacco Control Project 2. Identify the theoretical framework of the project 3. Define the most significant outcomes of the project 4. Assess how the project affected Latino tobacco use at national and state levels
Keywords: Tobacco, Latinos
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.