Problem/Objective: Nicotine dependence among cultural minorities in the United States is a serious problem often inadequately addressed. In the 1999--2001 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), CDC found that adult cigarette smoking prevalence in Mexican, Puerto Rican, non-Hispanic black, and American Indian/Alaska Native men, was higher than in non-Hispanic White men. Recent data demonstrate that Hispanics/Latinos are less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to receive cessation advice from their health care provider or utilize pharmacotherapy during a quit attempt. This extant situation supports Arizona's decision in January 2000 to develop a Spanish-language, capacity-building, culturally and linguistically appropriate, evidence-based smoking cessation certification program: “Tecnicas Basicas para Dejar el Tabaco.

Methods: Based on the U.S. Public Health Service Guideline: Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, the Arizona certification program for health promoters, clinicians, and non-clinicians serving the Spanish-speaking populations incorporates behavioral and pharmaceutical cessation strategies in diffusing evidence-based brief interventions at a community level. The “Tecnicas Basicas para Dejar el Tabaco” certification program is designed to increase the capacity of the Hispanic population to address tobacco use within their communities.

Results: Implemented as a competency-based, multimodal educational intervention, participant data was analyzed from pre and post-workshop as well as three-month follow-up instruments measuring knowledge, skills, self-confidence, utilization of client-centered materials, brief interventions conducted and referrals made.

Conclusions: Preliminary results suggest that Arizona's Spanish-language cessation certification program not only significantly raised confidence levels to deliver a brief intervention, but the gains endured over time and carried over into the field.