Learning Objectives: To identify program strategies, marketing approaches and support services for instituting a smokefree home program. To describe the health effects and demographics of children vulnerable to secondhand smoke and recognize why it is necessary to address this disparate youth population. To explain the asthma-secondhand smoke connection and how it can be an important factor in tobacco control work.
Abstract: AUDIENCE BENEFITS
This presentation cuts across many constituent elements of the tobacco control community, from conference first-timers to experienced state program staff, tobacco coalition members and more general public health advocates. Professionals from all of these groups will benefit from the panel presentation, either from the new data that will be presented detailing the health effects and the demographics of children's exposure to secondhand smoke; the strategic linkages that will be discussed between asthma and secondhand smoke exposure, the practical examples of state's experiences implementing a smokefree program, or the utilization of a social marketing approach in addressing this issue.
The educational experience will be that of learning from the panelist's experience and observations, posing questions to them, and interactive discussion about the planning and development of the basic steps to institute a smokefree program.
KEY POINTS
That children represent a critically important population that is uniquely vulnerable, involuntarily exposed, and disproportionately affected. Studies will be shared, including new demographic data from CDC's NHANES, NCI, and Census surveys.
That voluntary policies and programs can play an effective and important role in tobacco control. States with successful experience in implementing smokefree initiatives have demonstrated this point, and will be present to relate how such programs can be marketed within communities.
That many strategies, programs and resources exist that are available to help start a smokefree initiative. The links to technical assistance and support services will be explicitly provided by the Environmental Protection Agency and other panelists.
That the connection between secondhand smoke and asthma is strong and can be a strategically important element for the tobacco community to embrace.
Back to Cleaning House: Reducing Children's Involuntary Exposure to Secondhand Smoke
Back to Tobacco Use Prevention Among Youth
Back to The 2002 National Conference on Tobacco or Health