M.E.S.S. (Mothers Eliminating Secondhand Smoke): An Evidenced-Based Program To Reduce Secondhand Smoke Exposure within Faith Communities

Cancer disparities exist within South Carolina, and some are among the highest experienced by African Americans in the United States. For lung cancer, African American men have the highest rates of incidence and mortality of any population group studied in the state. Tobacco use is well accepted as the primary cause of most lung cancers. Elimination of tobacco use would reduce the numbers of lung cancer deaths by close to 90%. Faith-based organizations have been repeatedly demonstrated as effective channels for spreading health messages. For many communities, and particularly for African Americans living in the southeastern United States, churches, or faith communities, play a significant role in people's lives. Utilizing a community-participatory approach, a model for reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and the prevalence of smoking via education and advocacy in a faith-based community setting was validated and documented.

M.E.S.S. is a pledge and policy-based program designed to ensure the overall well-being of women and children through the creation of voluntary smoke-free homes, smoke-free vehicles and smoke-free faith communities. Its primary goal is to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke by reducing smoking among women, preventing the initiation of tobacco use among children and promoting a tobacco-free environment within the faith-based setting.

This presentation will highlight specific results of the implementation of M.E.S.S. and its impact on communities from the largest African American denomination in South Carolina. This program was collaborative and participatory in nature. Pretest-posttest surveys, log books and delayed-treatment controls were elements of the evaluation design.