142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

316138
Expanding Smokefree Communities to Underserved Populations Nationwide

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 4:10 PM - 4:30 PM

Bill Blatt, MPH , American Lung Association National Office, Washington DC, DC
Background/Purpose: CDC’s Community Transformation Grant program funded the American Lung Association’s Expanding Smokefree Communities project, a three-year effort to implement policy, systems and environmental changes to help reduce the burden of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke in communities across the nation.

Methods: ALA funded two cohorts with a total of 11 sub-recipients to implement evidence-based tobacco control strategies in communities across the country. Each project paired a local Lung Association office with an organization serving a community disproportionately affected by tobacco exposure and/or tobacco-related illness. The ALA National Office provided guidance and technical support throughout the project period to help ensure successful implementation of the project. Strategies addressed included smokefree multi-unit housing, tobacco-free school campuses and integrating tobacco screening and referral into health systems. A complete list of funded sub-recipients is available in the Expanded Summary.

Results/Outcomes: Almost all sub-recipients were able to implement the planned tobacco control strategies and those strategies are being (or seem very likely to be) sustained. The partnership model ensured that interventions were culturally appropriate and helped achieve community buy-in. Specific outcomes and metrics will be included in the presentation.

Conclusions: Through Expanding Smokefree Communities, the American Lung Association was able to make a significant difference in the lives of many Americans disproportionately affected by tobacco use. Community health efforts with support from expert national organizations are an effective way to provide targeted assistance to hard-to-reach populations and can have a significant impact on reducing the burden of tobacco use on our society.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Describe an effective model to implement evidence-based tobacco control strategies and reach disproportionately-affected communities.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have worked on multiple systems change-based tobacco control projects and was staff on the project that will be discussed during this session. I have 15 years of experience in tobacco control and have worked at the local, state and national levels.
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.