Efforts Targeting Women - 7/13/07

Q: The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) requests your assistance with a poster that we are developing for the National Conference on Tobacco or Health along with staff from National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the CDC. The title of the session is *INCORPORATING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH INEQUITY INTO TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAMMING FOR WOMEN.* One of the aspects of the poster is examples of states that are addressing women in their tobacco control efforts or implementing strategies that counteract efforts made by the tobacco industry to target women. We would be interested in examples of any such efforts implemented in your state. I appreciate your time and consideration and look forward to hearing from you.

A:

1. Colorado – Colorado’s campaign summary will be updated over the next month when brief evaluation results are returned, such as number of posters and brochures distributed, etc.
    
2. Indiana – Everything you need to know about Influence, you can find at www.influence.in.gov.  There is a whole toolkit that enables one to be able to hold their own forum.
    
3. Maryland – In addition to advertising in local publications targeted at women of childbearing age, Maryland has been partnering with Local Health Departments - especially Baltimore HealthCare Access - at the point where pregnant women and families enter into the Medicaid system.  We have provided them with our quitline brochures and cards after an intake worker conducts the prenatal risk assessment.  Promotions include:
   
   • MD Newspaper
   • MD Quit Now Bus Wrap
   • MD Quit Poster – Pregnant Woman
   • MD Poster – Ella
   • MD Poster – Heather

4. Minnesota – For the past 2 years, Minnesota has used CDC quitline enhancement funds to mobilize more cessation resources for pregnant smokers, and women of childbearing age.
   
   In a state health department initiative called the "Save A Bundle" project, we have made the following available to local public health, tribal and community clinic providers throughout MN:
   1) Printed and video patient education resources and a Mother's Day media campaign having to do with not smoking in pregnancy,
   2) Pregnancy tailored cessation clinical training in motivational interviewing for clinicians, and
   3) Very small participation mini-grants ($1,000 per year per agency).

The first project reports are just coming in to us now from the 55 agencies/tribes/clinics that participated since January 2007.  Most have found the resources and our technical assistance invaluable in strengthening their message and cessation interventions at the local level.  Most are also planning to "re-up" for another project year thru June of 2008.  The project is also set to expand to be offered to uninsured women who get their cancer screening services paid for by MDH's SAGE screening program (N =16,000 uninsured women) this coming year.  We already know that at least 30% of that population of persons either smokes or lives with a smoker.  More specific information on the project will be available in August 2007 when the reports by all local agencies are filed. 

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