4094.0: Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - Board 1

Abstract #24758

A three-pronged approach to cessation

Dara Bariola, Cessation, Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, 350 West Woodrow Wilson, Suite 499, Jackson, MS 39213, 601-362-0740, dara.bariola@healthy-miss.org

In Mississippi, thirty percent of adults regularly use tobacco products while forty two percent of teens experiment with or regularly use tobacco. Making the decision to be tobacco-free is a personal choice. While some people quit on their own, for many others it requires more. The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi uses a three-pronged approach to family cessation and prevention.

The ACT Center consists of a team of healthcare professionals who provide face-to-face treatment, education and research in the area of tobacco control. The ACT Center provides training to healthcare providers across the state. The curriculum, "Taking ACTion for a Tobacco-Free Mississippi," is based on the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) "How to Help Your Patients Be Tobacco-Free" program and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) guidelines for tobacco cessation. Individual and group tobacco treatment and follow-up is available for all age groups. Research projects include treating pregnant women smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and smokers who report symptoms of depression.

The Tobacco Education Resource Center (TERC) serves as a resource for anyone needing information about tobacco research, policies, prevention and cessation. In TERC first year of operation, over 250,000 educational materials were distributed across the state.

The Tobacco Quitline MISSISSIPPI (1-877-4US-2ACT) is a telephone counseling, information and tip line for anyone interested in kicking the addiction. The Quitline provides cessation support through trained masters level counselors specialized in cognitive/behavioral model for tobacco cessation and can help customize a specific cessation regimen designed to address individual needs.

See healthy-miss.org

Learning Objectives: 1) Have an understanding of the ACT Center and its purpose 2) Gained knowledge of lessons learned from the marketing efforts of the Tobacco Quitline Mississippi. 3) Review the protocal of the Tobacco Education Resource Center.

Keywords: Treatment,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi University of MS Medical Center- ACT Center Family Foundation of Mississippi- Tobacco Education Resouce Center
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.

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA