Indoor smoking policy change and a Multilevel Smoking Cessation Program for Korean Americans in Maryland

This on-going smoking cessation project started in August 2002 based on a series of in-depth descriptive studies among Korean Americans in Maryland. These studies identified disproportionally high rates of current smoking among Korean men. Our previous environment assessment also revealed unusually high tolerance toward male smoking by family members and business owners. Therefore, we have put intense effort into developing and implementing culturally sensitive smoking cessation programs for individual smokers. Specifically, we developed an intervention program that consists of the following: (1) behavioral education-based, standardized 2-hour weekly smoking cessation classes for 4 weeks with weekly follow-up calls; and (2) long-running anti-tobacco media campaign in the Korean language. This individually focused intervention program has been offered to Korean smokers since 2003. A coalition of 8 organizations in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington D.C. area has worked together with university researchers to implement a state-wide media campaign via advertisements in local, ethnic newspapers, while utilizing other means of innovative approach targeting family members and youth groups. In addition, a community-wide coalition effort has been in place in order to address community behavior and attitudes about smoking including secondhand smoking. In particular, we have built an active partnership with mainstream antismoking organizations and policy makers to change policy on environmental smoking. This paper highlights essential steps that have been taken in order to achieve successful smoking related policy changes including indoor smoking policy in both Howard and Montgomery Counties in Maryland, U.S.