Community-based Tobacco Prevention
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has funded comprehensive tobacco prevention and control programming (TPCC) in communities across the state of Texas since 2000(see below). The TPCC coalitions Implement comprehensive community-based tobacco prevention and control programs based on the Texas DSHS statewide goals.
Coalitions
Current Texas Coalitions
- Working on Wellness - Tobacco Education Coalition
- REACH for Nicotine Free Youth
- Circles of San Antonio Community Council
The University of Texas at Austin conducts the statewide cross-community evaluation of the TPCC program incoordination with local evaluators from each community and Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The UT-Austin evaluators provide technical assistance to local evaluators on cross-community studies to ensure uniform data collection, data analysis, and reporting at State and community levels. The Tobacco Research & Evaluation Team also convenes and manages the Texas Tobacco Epidemiology Workgroup. The workgroup membership includes representatives from the DSHS, the Comptroller's Office, Optum (Texas Tobacco Quitline), Texas A&M University, and other organizations.
Local evaluators collaborate with TPCC program coordinators and the local epidemiological workgroup to collect, summarize, and distribute evaluation findings for each coalition. Each evaluator conducts a local evaluation study to supplement the cross-community evaluation by documenting unique circumstances influencing program implementation and examining unmeasured short-term outcomes.
Partnerships
Tobacco Prevention Toolkit from Stanford Medicine
The TPCCs will use Stanford Medicine’s Tobacco Prevention Toolkit to increase youth awareness of the dangers of tobacco and nicotine. The Tobacco Prevention Toolkit is theory-based and evidence-informed resources created by educators, parents, and researchers aimed at preventing middle and high school students’ use of tobacco and nicotine. Evaluation of the toolkit implementation will serve as the local evaluation for the coalitions.
Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth
Texans Standing Tall provides coalition training and technical assistance to support implementation of evidence-based strategies for sustainable community support for tobacco free living.
SayWhat! Texas School Safety Center, Texas State University
The Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University facilitates Say What!, which stands for Students, Adults and Youth Working Hard Against Tobacco! Say What! is a movement that provides resources and organization support to TPCC youth coalitions and other groups to help them connect, learn, share, and inspire others to make a positive difference in their schools and communities! difference in their schools and communities!
Community Health Workers/Promoters
Community Health Workers (CHWs)/Promoters provide a valuable bridge between the community and health and or social service providers. As trusted members of the community CHWs are excellent ambassadors to help support community members in their efforts to become tobacco free at their own pace using FREE counseling and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) from the Texas Quitline. The project has developed these resources to help CHWs promote and support tobacco free communities.
Texas Quitline Mobile App
The app provides talking points to help motivate people toward being ready to quit tobacco and provides an instant secure referral process when the person is ready to quit within thirty days. Available for Android and Apple devices.
Increasing Access to Tobacco Cessation
Using a mobile app to improve public health Certified CHW trainings are available for use by trainers and training organizations.