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Community
and Tribal Programs
March 2008
Research shows that it is necessary to conduct a
broad array of tobacco prevention activities in communities to bring
about meaningful and sustained reductions in tobacco use.
Washington’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (Tobacco Program)
provides more than $10 million annually to county health departments and
community organizations in all 39 Washington counties and to 27
federally recognized tribes to deliver tobacco prevention activities.
In addition, the Tobacco Program funds activities in five culturally
diverse communities.
How the community component works
Local tobacco prevention programs are effective because they
carry out activities designed to meet the unique needs of their
communities. Community-based activities include:
- Forming
partnerships between schools, government agencies, and other
community-based groups to help smokers quit and prevent others from
starting.
- Raising public
awareness of tobacco issues and resources to help smokers quit, such as
through promotion of the Washington State Tobacco Quit Line.
- Training doctors,
nurses, and other healthcare professionals to help their patients quit.
- Educating families
and businesses about the dangers of secondhand smoke.
- Developing and
providing resources to help high-risk communities.
State provides technical
assistance to communities
In addition to direct funding, the state Tobacco
Prevention and Control Program provides technical assistance to local
programs, including:
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Educational
materials to local programs through a materials clearinghouse.
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Specialized
training and one-on-one consultation.
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Information on
the latest research and evaluation results.
A comprehensive approach
to fighting tobacco use
Research shows that tobacco
prevention programs must conduct a comprehensive set of strategies to be
effective. The Washington State Tobacco Prevention and Control
Program provides services to help people quit, conducts public awareness
and media campaigns, supports local programs in communities and schools,
supports enforcement of policies to keep kids from accessing tobacco
products, and evaluates the effectiveness of program activities.
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