214422 Assessing School System Policies Related to Tobacco Prevention and Control in Alabama

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Isam Vaid, PhD , Center for the Study of Community Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Brian F. Geiger, EdD, FAAHE , College of Arts & Sciences, School of Education, Department of Human Studies, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Diane Beeson , Tobacco Prevention and Control Division, Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery, AL
Barry Riddle , Youth Tobacco Prevention Unit Director & Policy Coordinator, Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch, Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery, AL
Jason S. Fulmore, PhD, CHES , UAB Center for Educational Accountability, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
The focus of this presentation is a comprehensive analysis of tobacco policies and practices in Alabama school systems. Administrators of a state public health agency collaborated with university health educators and local school system administrators to rate school tobacco prevention and control policies across the state. Preparing smoke-free youth requires implementing and evaluating tobacco education programs in grades K-12 based on model policies for tobacco prevention and control from federal agencies and professional organizations. Professional educators must monitor effectiveness of policies and programs to prevent youth initiation, promote quitting, and eliminate environmental tobacco smoke. Data was obtained for 5 Metropolitan Statistical Areas using the Alabama Tobacco Policy Tracking System created in 2009 by the state public health agency. Policies of local education agencies were compared to model policies from federal agencies and professional organizations. Authors will discuss tailored recommendations to enhance school system policies for tobacco prevention and control in 9 public health areas.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
1) Compare local school system policies for tobacco prevention and control to model policies promoted by federal agencies and professional organizations. 2) Describe strategies to collaborate among public health professionals across school, university and agency settings.

Keywords: Tobacco Policy, Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the primary author of this collaborative project and a doctoral-level health educator.
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.

Back to: 4135.0: Replacement Smokers: Tobacco Industry Targeting Young People & Tobacco Control Activities