186992 Tobacco-Free Communities: Theory to Practice

Monday, October 27, 2008

Mohammed R. Forouzesh, MPH, PhD, CHES , Department of Health Science, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
Toni L. Espinoza-Ferrel, MPH , Department of Health Science, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
Barbara Alice Brashear, MPH , Tobacco Use Prevention Program, Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, CA
Stafford G. Cox, MS, MPH, PhD , Center for Health Care Innovation, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
Marilyn C. Pritchard, MS , Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Prevention Programs, Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, CA
The Orange County Health Care Agency Tobacco Use Prevention Program (TUPP) works in the community providing tobacco education, prevention, and cessation services. Research has shown that tobacco control programs require a focused, sustained, comprehensive and coordinated approach in order to be successful. The mission of the TUPP program is to significantly reduce the prevalence of youth and adult tobacco use and also to reduce the public's exposure to secondhand smoke.

The impact of the TUPP program is discussed relative to its multi-faceted approach to tobacco control, which utilizes proven prevention and cessation strategies, and mobilizes a broad-based network of community organizations and agencies to reduce tobacco use on the individual, community, and societal levels. The program presentation will include a review of:

- Smoking cessation and cessation provider services;

- Mobilization of adults and youth to increase community participation in tobacco control activities;

- Merchant education and technical assistance to reduce access to minors

- Secondhand smoke outreach and education to community organizations

Within each city, school age youth, young adults (18-24 years old), tobacco-retail merchants, and people who smoke are provided educational services over a three-year period (2005-2008).This program is made possible by the County of Orange Health Care Agency/Tobacco Use Prevention Program through funds received from the National Tobacco Settlement.

Learning Objectives:
1. List five community intervention strategies, which support a comprehensive tobacco control program. 2. Analyze the relationships between community intervention strategies in promoting smoke-free social norms. 3. Evaluate the impact of tobacco control outcomes as related to institutionalization of program goals.

Keywords: Tobacco Control, Tobacco Industry

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have taught in higher education for over 20 years at CSULB. In addition I have been the lead evaluator of the proposed abstract for the past seven years. CSULB is a multicultural university with a technology based learning and teaching environment. I will be very happy to discuss our academic theories as we have implemented them in practice.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Novel Approaches to Tobacco Prevention
See more of: Public Health Education and Health Promotion