Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115276

Cynthia Hallett, MPH, Executive Director, American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, 2530 San Pablo Avenue, J, Berkeley, CA 94702, 510-841-3045, cynthia.hallett@no-smoke.org

Evidence-based strategies provide a solid rationale to support policy and research endeavors. Collecting objective data on public health issues can be a challenge; however, the field of tobacco control is unique in that it has access to the ANR Foundation's Tobacco Control Ordinance Database, a national database of local and state regulations regarding smokefree workplaces, youth access, advertising, and more. The database, developed in early 1980s, represents one of the most thorough collections of local policy data available and presents a unique opportunity for research and program planning. As more states have developed comprehensive tobacco control programs and more jurisdictions have passed smokefree regulations, the need for access to the details of local and state tobacco control regulations is an essential for both policy advocates and researchers. This presentation will describe the nuts and bolts of data collection, analysis, ongoing up-keep of tobacco control ordinance databases, and their application to program planning, surveillance, research, and education of the public, media, and policy makers.

Learning Objectives: