Novel Cessation Partners and Interventions

Audience:

The target audience includes tobacco program managers, cessation coordinators and others interested in expanding cessation outreach and reducing high school tobacco use.

Key Points:

Attendees will learn how to work with high school administrators to incorporate tobacco cessation into policies and activities. Attendees will also learn how to work with their state’s Mission of Mercy program to educate dental professionals on cessation interventions and incorporate cessation referrals.

The Kansas Tobacco Use Prevention Program (KTUPP) created a high school program that encourages schools to allow students who violate tobacco policies to defer punishment by participating in online cessation counseling while working with a school staff person who monitors progress and provides support.

Kansas also worked to be the first state to include tobacco cessation in the state’s Mission of Mercy. The Kansas Mission of Mercy provides free dental care to more than 1,500 low income individuals during a 2-day annual event. During the 2011 event KTUPP trained dental professionals on tobacco cessation intervention techniques and the Kansas Tobacco Quitline, and more than 200 patients were referred to the Quitline and hundreds of educational materials were distributed.

Educational Experience:

The presentation will provide information on establishing two novel cessation partnerships and programs. The presentation will provide information on creating a high school tobacco cessation program and how to work with Missions of Mercy to incorporate tobacco cessation promotion and referral.

Benefits:

The presentation will inform attendees about new strategies to reach high school tobacco users and low income tobacco users.