Sustaining State Funding For Tobacco Control

OSH Strategic Priority: The Background

Promoting Sustainable Science-Based Comprehensive State Tobacco Control Programs at the CDC-Recommended Levels

One of the strategic priorities of the Centers for Disease Control’s Office on Smoking and Health (CDC/OSH) is to help states preserve tobacco control infrastructure in the face of serious budget challenges. A recent study found that states that spend more on comprehensive tobacco control programs have double the decrease in cigarette sales compared with those that spend less.¹ Clearly, tobacco control programs work, and we must continue to invest in these comprehensive programs to save lives.

Vision

A world free from tobacco-related death and disease.

OSH Mission

As the lead federal agency for comprehensive tobacco prevention and control, CDC/OSH develops, conducts, and supports strategic efforts to protect the public’s health from the harmful effects of tobacco use.

OSH Goals

• Prevent initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults.
• Promote tobacco use cessation among adults and youth.
• Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Identify and eliminate tobacco related disparities.

OSH Strategic Priorities

• Promote sustainable science-based comprehensive tobacco control programs at the CDC-recommended levels.
• Conduct tobacco product research and information dissemination.
• Enhance the science and delivery of quitline services.
• Strengthen global tobacco surveillance and translation of data for action.

Sustainable State Programs Funding Objectives

• Provide strategic consultation to help states and territories sustain their programs.
• Develop and maintain partnerships that provide leadership for sustaining state and territorial funding.
• Provide and expand evidence for specific best practice components.
• Develop and provide training for states and territories to support and promote program sustainability.

Objectives

Provide strategic consultation to help states and territories sustain their programs

In response to requests by states and territories for the most up-to-date evidence supporting the effectiveness of comprehensive tobacco control programs, CDC OSH developed several documents that have been widely disseminated.

A key document, Sustaining State Funding for Tobacco Control: The Facts, is a bulleted summary, with references, of recent evidence supporting the effectiveness of comprehensive state tobacco control programs and why additional funding is necessary to continue the positive trends that have been achieved during the past several years.

As states have successes in their efforts to secure additional funding for their tobacco control programs, CDC OSH will compile short synopses–or snapshots–to highlight the process by which these states were able to sustain their program funding. The first snapshot is from Nebraska.

Develop and maintain partnerships that provide leadership for sustaining state and territorial funding

Several times a year, CDC OSH’s national partners in tobacco control efforts (i.e., voluntary organizations, foundations, and other nonprofit organizations) convene to discuss issues of mutual interest or concern. In 2004, partners met twice to discuss issues of program sustainability including identification of new sources of funding and keeping coalitions strong when funding is reduced.

Provide and expand evidence for specific best practices components

For the past several years, CDC OSH has published an annual report entitled Tobacco Control State Highlights, which summarizes information regarding the health impact and economic burden of tobacco use and reports state-specific data related to key tobacco control objectives. This year’s report, Sustaining State Programs for Tobacco Control Data Highlights: 2004, provides state-specific estimates of adult and youth tobacco use prevalence, tobacco-related disparities among adult population groups, the percentage of people protected by clean indoor air policies, and costs of smoking including Medicaid. This document provides important data that state and territorial tobacco control programs can use to support their programs. In addition, CDC OSH has conducted a thorough literature review of studies on the effectiveness of comprehensive state programs
(PDF–866 KB) including peer-reviewed studies and major state program evaluations with references. This literature review can help state tobacco control programs identify research validating the effectiveness of particular programs and policies they may be asked to defend. The St. Louis University School of Public Health, with support from CDC OSH, the National Cancer Institute, and the American Legacy Foundation is currently exploring how states are addressing reductions in funding for comprehensive tobacco control programs. The specific goals of this research effort are to determine how state budget crises are affecting tobacco control programs and to identify strategies to help the programs address funding reductions.

Develop and provide training for states and territories to support and promote sustainability

CDC OSH has designed several training opportunities to enable tobacco control professionals to share information and strategies for sustaining programs. As of October 2004, 23 state teams have participated in a planning and goal setting process to be implemented in their states. The plans target efforts to sustain their programs. Follow-up state-based workshops will be convened in six of the participating states in late 2004 and early 2005.

Based on needs identified by states, territories, and partner organizations, CDC OSH convenes monthly technical assistance and media network calls to address issues such as crisis communication, counter-marketing development, and stakeholder communication. These calls also serve as an opportunity to alert states, territories, and partner organizations to newly developed materials and upcoming training opportunities.

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¹Farrelly MC, Pechacek TP, Chaloupka FJ. The impact of tobacco control program expenditures on aggregate cigarette sales:1981–2000. Journal of Health Economics 2003;22(5):843–859. Published December, 2004.