Problem/Objective: Describe how tobacco control laws can be crafted to combat the harms of tobacco and also further the objectives of other public health causes.

Methods: Legal research into the powers used by government to impose tobacco control laws and how the same powers can be used to regulate other public health issues.

Results: Most policy tools used in tobacco control are simply tailored versions of generic laws such as business licensing, land use (zoning), product regulations, and nuisance abatement. Tobacco laws based on these principles can be expanded to address other public health issues.

For example, many tobacco laws regulate the “convenience store” environment. In this environment, to address issues of nutrition, a local tobacco retailer licensing law could require licensed retailers to provide some minimum quantity of fresh fruit and vegetables. To help reduce youth access to alcohol, the same law could also provide for the suspension of the tobacco license for the illegal sale of alcohol to a minor. Likewise, a zoning law regulating how close to a school tobacco retailers may locate could be expanded to include similar limitations on fast food restaurants. Or a smokefree workplaces law could be drafted to include restrictions on the use of certain cleaning chemicals known to trigger asthma attacks.

Conclusions: This presentation will discuss how tobacco control laws can be crafted not only to combat the harms from tobacco but to also further the objectives of other public health causes, thereby broadening tobacco control coalitions.