Author: Kailee Curtis

Tobacco Prevention and Control

Smoking tobacco increases the risk for chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and stroke. It is the leading cause of preventable death. Not smoking, or quitting smoking (for current smokers) can greatly reduce the risk for developing diseases like this, and can prolong life. Tobacco prevention is important in creating healthy communities. New tobacco and nicotine products are emerging constantly, making tobacco prevention more important than ever.

Key Positions
Community Health Promotion Specialist

Combined FTE: 0.11

Aligns with BEDHD Strategic Priorities:

A strong, healthy start in life

Meets Public Health Standards:

In 2017 a Community Health Promotion Specialist gave presentations about the dangers of e-cigarettes and tobacco to the Board of Health and the Barry County Commissioners.

	Michigan Public Health Code
	MI Local Public Health Accreditation
ü	Public Health Accreditation Board

Health Improvement Efforts:

ü	Barry Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan
ü	Eaton Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan

Services:
BEDHD Community Health Promotion Specialists collaborate with coalitions like the Barry County Substance Abuse Task Force and the Eaton County Substance Advisory Group to educate the community about the dangers of tobacco and nicotine use, and to promote change in the community surrounding these issues. Additionally, BEDHD Community Health Promotion Specialists are responsible for compliance checks and vendor education (Eaton County only), and general outreach regarding smoking cessation resources.
Goals:
Health promotion, prevention, and education activities centered on tobacco prevention and control are meant to:
Prevent adverse health outcomes associated with long term tobacco or nicotine product use
Create awareness in the community about the dangers of tobacco and nicotine addiction
Prevent youth from using tobacco and nicotine products

FY17 Funding Sources for BEDHD Tobacco Prevention Efforts:

State Grants

Local Funding

Impact:
BEDHD collected information on tobacco product and e-cigarette use using the Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (BRFS) and the Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth (MiPHY) survey to measure tobacco use trends in teens and adults.