Efforts to Transform Puerto Rico in a Smoke-free Island

Audience: This work is addressed at all health professionals in the area of ​​tobacco control who are interested in concrete actions to achieve smoke-free environments. These professionals are epidemiologists, evaluators, health educators, policy makers, tobacco control program managers, among others.

Key Points: The main purpose of this work is to evaluate how the efforts of the Puerto Rico Control Program (PRTCP) and their collaborators contributed to transform Puerto Rico in a smoke-free Island. The analysis was performed using different data sources such as the Puerto Rico Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Puerto Rico Youth Substance Abuse Survey, Microjuris, and the Puerto Rico Department of Revenue. A review of these data sources show that the efforts made by the PRTCP and their collaborators have contributed to transform Puerto Rico in a smoke-free Island. Since the foundation of the PRTCP the prevalence of tobacco use decrease in young and adult people. At the same time, with the increased taxes on cigarettes in 2002 and 2009, there was a considerable decline in the demand of cigarette packages.

Educational Experience: The audience will learn to work successful strategies with a limited funding source to achieve smoke-free environments.

Benefits: This work demonstrates that reducing tobacco use is a public health concern that implies the development of multiple strategies in collaboration with multiple sectors of the population. This has been the key of the PRTCP to meet its goals despite budgetary constraints.