The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #71875

Kathony Jerauld, MPH, Tobacco Control Section, California Department of Health Services, 601 North 7th Street, MS 555, Sacramento, CA 95814, Kirk Kleinschmidt, Vice President of Advocacy, American Heart Association, Western States Affiliate, 120 Montgomery Street, Suite 1650, San Francisco, CA 94104, and Lourdes Baezconde, PhD, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, 1000 S. Fremont Avenue, Unit 8, Room 4231, Alhambra, CA 91803, 626-457-6606, baezcond@hsc.usc.edu.

The California Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee (TEROC) is a legislatively mandated, politically appointed committee that provides oversight and advice to California tobacco education and research programs. TEROC is charged by statute to prepare biennial comprehensive Master Plans for implementing tobacco education programs. This case study explores the role of such a committee, creative tensions between committee oversight and program autonomy, and issues faced. We will describe the process of developing the recently released Master Plan, its enhanced implementation through strategic collaboration with voluntary organizations, and advocacy efforts with policymakers over the years. TEROC achievements include: · Helping to eliminate annual tobacco program reauthorization, shifting program funding into the annual state budget process instead; · Standing guard against political interference with the tobacco control statewide media campaign, and leading the constituency to pressure the state administration to allow the campaign to counter the tobacco industry directly; · Collaborating with Tobacco Free Kids and other voluntary organizations in 2003 on a campaign to earmark 20 cents from the proposed tobacco tax for tobacco control and prevention.

The experience of California’s TEROC will provide other states with information on how their tobacco control programs can work effectively with advisory committees.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to:
• Identify effective practices in working with advisory committees.
• Describe how to conduct an advocacy campaign in collaboration with voluntary organizations.
• Identify ways in which an advisory committee can influence policymakers to support tobacco control and research programs.

Keywords: Tobacco Policy, Advocacy

Related Web page: www.dhs.ca.gov/tobacco/html/oversigtcom.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.