Since 1991, a local health department's Tobacco Education Program (TEP) has collaborated with many code enforcement agencies including Environmental Health, the Police Department, and the Offices of the City Prosecutor and City Attorney to develop a compliance protocol for educating and enforcing tobacco regulations in public places, workplaces, and the general public. In order to address social norm and behavioral changes, such as no smoking in public places and workplaces, the compliance protocol development process coordinated existing policies and procedures along with innovative collaborations among task forces, trainers, technical assistance agencies, coalitions and other government jurisdictions. By adhering to a collaborative process, the TEP institutionalized communication, cooperation, and buy-in among the various jurisdictions responsible for compliance education and enforcement. One tangible result was the creation of a framework and flow chart which describes the relationships between the various collaborative agencies, jurisdictions and the role each plays in insuring compliance. This presentation will discuss the development of a blueprint for implementing a tobacco control compliance protocol through the collaboration of a variety of local agencies. Challenges related to policies influencing lifestyle changes and suggested solutions will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the development and implementation of a tobacco control compliance protocol by a local health department. 2. List challenges related to policies influencing lifestyle changes 3.Identify potential partners for enforcing tobacco control regulations
Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Collaboration
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.