Learning Objectives: Explain the effectiveness of the California Tobacco Control program on tobacco-related behaviors and attitudes among adults and youth.
Abstract: This paper describes findings from the Independent Evaluation of the California Tobacco Control Program, conducted from 1996 to 2001. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the overall impacts of tobacco control activities conducted through community programs, schools, and the statewide media campaign on tobacco use behaviors and attitudes among adults and youth in California. A repeated cross-section design included three waves of data collection (1996, 1998, and 2000) in 18 California counties. A telephone survey was conducted with adults (n=122,023) in randomly selected households. A written survey was administered to tenth-grade youth (n=23,335) in 85 randomly selected high schools. Overall impacts of the program were investigated in analyses that examined relationships between county-level program exposure and changes in program outcomes from 1996 to 2000. Among adults, program exposure was associated with decreased smoking prevalence and an increase in the prevalence of no-smoking policies in homes. Among youth, there were no effects of program exposure on changes in outcomes. These results suggest that the California Tobacco Control Program may have reduced adult smoking prevalence and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
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