Prioritizing Policy Goals and Closing the Gaps in Smokefree Protections

Hallett, Cynthia

Thursday, August 16, 2012: 2:00 PM

2502A (Kansas City Convention Center)

Ms. Cynthia Hallett, MPH , American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, Berkeley, CA

Dr. Stanton Glantz, PhD , Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

John Neuberger, DrPH, MPH, MBA , Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation attendees will be able to:

Participants will be able to articulate the public health benefits of 100% smokefree workplace, restaurant, and bar laws.
Participants will recognize the extent of exemptions throughout the U.S., the consequences of weaker policy provisions, priorities for eliminating exemptions, and the challenges faced when attempting to strengthen weaker laws.
Participants will discuss and debate the prioritization of tobacco-related policies.

Cross Cutting Program Area(s): Increasing Diversity/Eliminating Disparities

Audience: Tobacco Control Advocates, Public Health Professionals, and Researchers

Key Points: In this new era of tobacco regulation and opportunities to enact innovative retail sales and advertising laws, the tobacco control community is faced with the challenge of prioritizing policy goals. Should municipalities and states focus efforts on traditional best practices policies such as smokefree air or work in these newer arenas first?

While legislation of smokefree workplaces has increased, significant gaps still exist. Currently, 23 states, plus DC, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands, and 493 municipalities have strong 100% smokefree workplace, restaurant, and bar laws protecting 48% of the population, leaving a majority (52%) unprotected from secondhand smoke exposure. Tobacco industry opposition is at an all-time high; an unprecedented number of states (16) faced legislative attacks on existing laws and only 27 municipalities have passed a new smokefree law or strengthened a weaker law in 2011. Competing interests like other tobacco policy arenas and obesity efforts are creating diversions within an already reduced workforce, challenging the movement’s ability to combat industry opposition and to achieve smokefree goals. This panel will discuss gaps in smokefree protections, outline implications of compromised policy provisions, suggest a policy continuum, and engage participants in a discussion about juggling multiple interests.

Educational Experience: The audience will learn through a lecture, followed by an extensive discussion and debate period.

Benefits: Build awareness of gaps in smokefree protections, build consensus and help shape the national agenda for prioritization of tobacco control policies.