142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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309220
Passing Local Tobacco Policy through Youth-Adult Collaborations

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 5:30 PM - 5:50 PM

Carly Caminiti, MS , Training and Capacity Building, Health Resources in Action, Boston, MA
Tamaki West, MA , Health Communication, Health Resources in Action, Boston, MA
Arielle Levy, MPH , Training and Capacity Building, 95 Berkeley St., Boston, MA
Brittany H. Chen, MPH , Boston University School of Public Health Doctoral Candidate, Health Resources in Action, Boston, MA
Leah Kuhlmann, BA , Training and Capacity Building, Health Resources in Action, Boston, MA
Laurie Jo Wallace, MA , Training and Capacity Building, Health Resources in Action, Boston, MA
Malini Runnells, MA Candidate , Health Communication, Health Resources in Action, Boston, MA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
The 84 Movement, a program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, developed and managed in partnership with Health Resources in Action, is a youth statewide tobacco prevention movement.  Built through community and school-based “84 Chapters,” youth support local tobacco prevention policy change efforts and promote the positive social norm that most youth do not smoke.

Youth have spearheaded policy change since 2005. In 2008, Boston became the second city in the country to stop selling tobacco in pharmacies. Led by Breath of Life Dorchester (BOLD) Teens, an 84 Chapter, in collaboration with the Boston Public Health Commission, this youth-adult partnership set the precedent for similar policies to be passed in cities/towns across the state.    

Since then, youth and adults together have advocated for ordinances to ban the sale of single cigars, regulating nicotine delivery devices like tobacco products, restricting advertising on retail store fronts, capping tobacco retail licenses, and strengthening school tobacco policies to include Other Tobacco Products and nicotine delivery devices and create buffer zones around campuses.

Youth collaboration with adult tobacco control partners allowed them to influence decision-makers.  Adults assisted youth with their efforts through legal counsel, identifying potential areas for change, and connecting youth with individuals and resources to support their efforts. Youth collected data, shared observations of youth tobacco use trends, built public support for policy efforts, and testified passionately before their local officials.

This session will discuss methods to effectively and authentically engage youth in local tobacco policy change and foster youth advocacy.

Learning Areas:

Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Program planning
Public health or related education
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Identify effective methods of engaging youth in tobacco-related advocacy work. Identify tools for engaging youth in tobacco-related policy change, specifically around other tobacco products. Identify practical methods of fostering authentic and successful youth-adult collaborations.

Keyword(s): Youth, Public Health Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have worked in tobacco control for fourteen years, first as a Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids youth advocate working with similar youth-adult collaborations, and now as the program manager for The 84. As program manager, I oversee the activities of the youth involved with this program as well as their policy efforts.
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: 4399.0: The Future is Now: Developing Leadership in Tobacco Control