Local Tobacco Control Initiatives
CRF Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Programs
Introduction and Purpose
The Cigarette Restitution Fund (CRF), established as a result of a multi-state settlement with the tobacco industry in 1998, provides the funding for this program. The legislation (Maryland General Health Article 13-1001- through 13-1014) directs the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) to fund tobacco use prevention and cessation activities following the Best Practice recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Task Force Report to End Smoking in Maryland.
The purpose of the Local Public Health Component is to maximize the effectiveness of tobacco use prevention and cessation initiatives in Maryland by authorizing Local Health Departments (LHDs) to develop programs in coordination with Community Health Coalitions and DHMH. Local Health Department Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Initiatives address the four goal areas of the CRF Tobacco Program: 1) Preventing the initiation of tobacco use among young people; 2) Promoting quitting among adults and young people; 3) Eliminating exposure to environmental tobacco smoke; and 4) Identifying and eliminating the disparities related to tobacco use and its effects among different population groups.
The program elements that constitute the Local Public Health Component includes:
- Community Initiatives
- School-Based Initiatives
- Tobacco Enforcement Initiatives
- Cessation Initiatives
- Administration
Community
Health Coalitions
Each
Local Health Officer must document the demographics of the county Community
Health Coalition to ensure it reflects the diversity of the county.
Health-General 13-1009 also recommends inclusion of local management boards,
public school systems, hospitals, clinics, physicians, other health care
providers, law enforcement, businesses, religious organizations, media, and
institutions of higher learning. Representatives of community-based groups
(including minority, rural, and medically underserved populations) and youth
that are familiar with all communities and cultures in the county must be
included.
Community Initiatives
The
Community component strives to mobilize community actions through coalition
participation, tobacco prevention education, marketing, grassroots and faith
based campaigns to promote non-smoking norms, eliminate disparities associated
with tobacco use, and to encourage policy interventions. Local health departments with technical
assistance from the state health department engage key stakeholders through
local tobacco coalitions and community organizations.
Key
Accomplishments – FY11 – FY15
·
6,192 advocates and community leaders were
trained on smoking cessation programs and tobacco use prevention strategies.
·
94 faith-based organizations were funded to
incorporate tobacco prevention and cessation messages into various programs.
·
110 minority organizations were funded by
local health departments to conduct tobacco control activities in targeted
communities.
School-based
Initiatives
The
School-based component promotes tobacco use prevention education for youth
Pre-K through 12th grade within the school environment. Local health
departments engage in partnership with school systems to enhance youth
awareness of the dangers of tobacco and nicotine use through instruction, peer
support programs, parent involvement, and policy promotions.
Key
Accomplishments – FY11 – FY15
·
4,544 teachers, nurses, daycare providers,
and school administrators were trained on available tobacco use prevention and
cessation curricula, programs and strategies.
·
13,318 Pre K students received multiple
tobacco use prevention education sessions.
·
447,512 K-12 students received tobacco use prevention
education sessions in school.
Tobacco Enforcement
Initiatives
The
Enforcement component ensures the public, youth and tobacco retailers are aware
of and follow the tobacco sales laws that prohibit the sale of tobacco products
to minors. Utilizing youth under the age
of 18, local health departments, designees and local law enforcement agencies
conduct random and unannounced tobacco sale compliance checks to monitor store
compliance with the law. Local community organizations engage and educate
tobacco retailers with education campaigns, as well as increase community
awareness and vigilance on the issue.
Key
Accomplishments – FY11 – FY15
·
8,904 tobacco retailer (stores)
compliance checks were conducted.
·
1,068 tobacco retailers (stores) were issued citations for
sales to minors.
Cessation Initiatives/ Tobacco Cessation
The
Cessation component promotes the cessation of tobacco products among adults and
youth. Local health department programs offer behavior change cessation sessions
individually or as a group, free nicotine replacement products, and ongoing
assistance to quit tobacco use.
Key
Accomplishments – FY11 – FY15
·
41,297 adults participated in smoking cessation
classes and counseling sessions in local programs.
·
2,544 pregnant women received smoking cessation
counseling in local programs
Tobacco
Enforcement Initiative to Support Synar Compliance
The Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control (CTPC) in the Prevention
and Health Promotion Administration (PHPA), along with the Behavioral Health
Administration (BHA) in Federal Fiscal Year 2015, launched a Tobacco Enforcement Initiative to Support Synar Compliance. This
initiative was designed to address high rates of tobacco sales to Maryland
youth (under the age of 18) identified by the Synar Retailer Violation rates in
the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY14) Synar Report. This
initiative enforces existing tobacco sales laws and promotes responsible
retailing at tobacco sales outlets.
The Tobacco Enforcement Initiative to Support
Synar Compliance provided funding, training, staffing, and guidance to all 24
Local Health Departments (LHD) in an effort to enhance local enforcement,
improve tobacco vendor education and engage leadership and communities to play
a more active part in preventing youth access to tobacco products. Under this
initiative local health departments fund police agencies to conduct routine
compliance checks, incentivizing community partners to conduct retailer
education programs, organize training programs for merchants and develop
marketing campaigns to support better compliance with federal, state and local
laws.
Local
Tobacco Enforcement Accomplishments FY 15
·
3,798 tobacco retailer (stores) compliance
checks were conducted.
·
545 tobacco retailer (stores) were issued
citations for sales to minors.
·
3,899 in-person vendor education sessions
were conducted by community partners and health department staff.
In Fiscal Year 2015, there were some parallel enforcement activities
under the CRF Tobacco Grant. In Fiscal Year 2016,
all Tobacco Enforcement activities were consolidated under the Tobacco
Enforcement Initiative to Support Synar Compliance.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) oversees implementation of the Synar Amendment, which requires states to have laws in place prohibiting the sale and distribution of tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 and to enforce those laws effectively. In Maryland, the BHA within the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) is responsible for SYNAR compliance. Maryland’s Synar retailer violation rate in FFY14 was 24.1% and increased to 31.9% in FFY15, which is well above the 20% non-compliance rate allowed by SAMSHA.
As a result of the efforts of the Tobacco Enforcement Initiative to Support Synar
Compliance, the Synar
retailer violation rate decreased to 13.8% for FFY 16.
Minority and Community
Outreach
The Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control
works very close with the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities to
ensure that our messaging and programming are cultural and community
sensitive. We are a collaborative
partner of their Minority Outreach and Technical Assistance (MOTA) Initiative
that funds community organizations to champion public health issues in minority
and low income communities across Maryland.
These organizations listed below have helped the Center’s Smoke-free
Housing, Pregnancy and Tobacco Cessation Help (PATCH), and the Tobacco
Enforcement to Support Synar Initiative. They have clearly been instrumental in
the success of these campaigns because of their reputation in need communities,
communication skills and passion for helping others.
Anne Arundel: Restoration
Community Development Corporation
Baltimore County: St.
Stephen's Office Management & Technology, Inc.
Caroline: Union Bethel AME
Charles: Lifestyles of
Maryland Foundation, Inc.
Dorchester: Associated
Black Charities
Frederick: Asian
American Center
Harford: Inner County
Outreach
Howard: Foreign Born
Information and Referral Network
Kent: Mt. Olive AME
St. Mary's: Minority
Outreach Coalition
Washington: Brother's
Who Care, Inc.
Wicomico: St. James
AME Zion Church