A collaborative approach to local and state regulatory change in tobacco laws with limited resources

Issues: Tobacco companies continue to employ new strategies and products to attract youth, while funding for state tobacco prevention and cessation programs are rapidly diminishing. Description: In response to budget cuts, Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program (MTCP) focused its resources on a collaborative approach to combat tobacco industry tactics in the retail environment. The MTCP model uses a three pronged approach: the Boards of Health develop, implement and enforce local regulations; Community Partnership programs build relationships within the community and media to gain support for Board of Health initiatives; and the 84 youth program provides a strong and convincing voice in support of tobacco regulation. MTCP provides a unified message and evidence-based strategies for the three programs; the programs then use these tools to educate stakeholders in their respective municipalities in order to prompt local action and build momentum for change on the state level. Lessons Learned: Without cohesion among local programs responsible for regulatory change, the clear outlay of priorities, and the tailoring of standardized messages to support the priorities, local change is slow, incongruent and inefficient. It is important to provide local programs with the information and tools necessary to alter local climate in a consistent manner; toolkits, model regulations and informational webinars have been successfully used to achieve this end. Recommendations: To support statewide change with limited resources, Tobacco Control programs should map out local strategies, develop messaging around these strategies and educate stakeholders on utilizing these tools to achieve a critical mass of local regulations.