Community-level tobacco control and prevention in the rural South: Evidence-based policy approaches of local health departments

One in two Americans still live in areas where they are not fully protected by smoke-free laws. Research supports bans on indoor smoking as a way to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. It is often easier to pass and enforce smoking bans at the local level than the state level. However, recent budget cuts have made this increasingly challenging for local health departments (LHDs), and many are now unable to fund tobacco control and prevention efforts. Over the past two years, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has conducted one-day facilitated action planning meetings and provided follow-up support to more than 10 LHDs and their tobacco prevention and control coalitions. In the action planning meetings, NACCHO has disseminated information on evidence-based practices, worked with coalitions to examine the challenges facing their communities, and guided the development of action plans. In 2010 and 2011, NACCHO met with and provided follow-up support to Monroe County, a community in rural Kentucky that is working to pass a comprehensive smoke-free indoor air law. This session will detail the process that NACCHO has used to support local tobacco prevention and control coalitions, including that of Monroe County. It will also describe the tactics and progress of Monroe County, and provide tips for other LHDs that are looking to increase use of evidence-based practices and engage in action planning to reduce the burden of tobacco in their communities.