nntpp-announce Messages: Lists

nntpp-announce

[ View All Lists | My Lists | Lists by State | Create a New List ]

NNTPP Listserv

< PREVIOUS | 51 | NEXT >

From: kbrown@healthedcouncil.org
Date: Fri, 03/04/05

NNTPP LISTSERV

NNTPP is a program of the Health Education Council

Friday March 4, 2005

In this edition:

1) Tobacco Use among the Homeless Population

2) Alaska – Tobacco Use among Young Children

3) NCI Health Information Tip Sheet for Writers: Secondhand Smoke

4) Smoke-Free Airlines and the Role of Organized Labor: A Case Study

5) NNTPP – Case Studies and Focus Group Summary Now Available

6) Announcements

7) Upcoming Events

1) Tobacco Use among the Homeless Population

NNTPP has recently teamed with the National Coalition for the Homeless to address the issue of tobacco prevention in the homeless population. It is estimated that at least 80% of the homeless smoke. Considering that tobacco use is a major contributor to disease and disability in the U.S., this is a population that needs further attention.

Currently, there are about 3.5 million people in the world that are homeless and of that 41% are men, 14% women, 40% families, 5% youth, 11% veterans, and 25% are under 18 years of age.

In order to implement tobacco control initiatives for this population, we must understand this population. Michael Stoops from the National Coalition for the Homeless became an NNTPP Stakeholder in 2004. He stated that the fastest growing populations to become homeless are women with children and the working poor. Fifty-two percent of families requesting shelter have to be turned away for lack of room. Currently there are more animal shelters around then shelters for the homeless in the United States. Twenty percent of homeless adults eat one meal a day or less. Forty-six percent of homeless adults report having serious health conditions; 26% report having acute infectious conditions; and homeless children are in fair or poor health twice as often as other children, twice as likely to experience hunger, four times more likely to have delayed development, and twice as likely as other children to repeat a grade.

The limited tobacco related research with this population further underscores the need to assess tobacco cessation interventions that can be successfully implemented to reduce use among the homeless. The lifestyles of many homeless individuals include drug and alcohol abuse, poverty, mental illness, under-education, and unemployment – all of which are associated with poorer health outcomes. Thus, the period of homelessness can provide a unique opportunity for the implementation of preventive health interventions that they might otherwise find difficult to obtain, improving health outcomes, and reducing the number of years of potential life lost.

In the coming months, NNTPP will be collaborating with the National Coalition for the Homeless to develop pilot interventions to address tobacco control. If you would like additional information on this collaborative, please contact NNTPP at (888) 442-2836 or at www.nntpp.org

2) Alaska – Tobacco Use among Young Children

Marian Estelle with Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc. an NNTPP Stakeholder organizations since 2000, gave a brief presentation at the last NNTPP Stakeholder meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico on some shocking, preliminary results of focus groups held with Native Alaskan women.

Rural CAP has been facilitating focus groups with the women of small villages in Alaska. In one particular village they found that three, four, and five year old children were addicted to chewing tobacco. Many mothers provide tobacco to their children because they believe it calms them. It was estimated that 80% of children in this particular Alaskan village use chewing tobacco. When asked if it was allowed during school, they were told that it was hard to regulate. The teacher does not allow it but also can’t regulate it when the parents are urging the children to use chewing tobacco. That makes teaching tobacco prevention difficult. Currently, there is no research on oral cancer in the small villages of Alaska and dental care is non-existent. These focus group findings highlight a hidden and shocking phenomenon unique to rural Alaskan villages. NNTPP will be providing necessary support to Rural CAP to further educate tobacco control experts about this issue.

For more information on this topic please contact NNTPP at the Health Education Council toll-free at 1(888) 442-2836 or email NNTPP at nntpp@healthedcouncil.org

3) NCI Health Information Tip Sheet for Writers: Secondhand Smoke

For information on secondhand smoke check out this website from the National Cancer Institute (NCI): http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/tip-sheet-secondhand-smoke

It provides good information on what secondhand smoke is, the difference in the type of smoke you breathe in, and how many people are affected/die of secondhand smoke. It explains who is at risk, what the risks are, and how it can be prevented. It also gives case examples.

4) Smoke-Free Airlines and the Role of Organized Labor: A Case Study

Pan J, Barbeau EM, Levenstein C, Balbach ED.

Am J Public Health. 2005 Mar;95(3):398-404.

Labor unions play an important role in debates about smoke-free worksites. We investigated the role of flight attendants and their unions in creating smoke-free air travel. We used case study methodology to search tobacco industry documents and labor union periodicals and to interview key informants (i.e., people identified as having first-hand information and experience in the campaign to make airlines smoke free). We then compared findings across these data sources. Tobacco industry strategies against the establishment of smoke-free worksites failed in the case of airlines, largely because of the efforts of flight attendants and their unions. Other factors contributed to the failure but likely would have been insufficient to derail industry efforts without strong stands by the flight attendants. This case illustrates the potential for successful partnerships between unions and tobacco control policy advocates when developing smoke-free worksite policies.

5) NNTPP – Case Studies and Focus Group Summary Now Available

The National Network on Tobacco Prevention and Poverty announces the release of two case studies written in collaboration with two of our national Stakeholder organizations. Tobacco Policy, Cessation, and Education in Correctional Facilities Case Study highlights NNTPP’s collaboration with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and a joint survey conducted among correctional facilities across the United States to examine tobacco use policies and cessation programming. Integrating Tobacco Control into The Salvation Army’s Substance Abuse Training Curriculum Case Study focuses on NNTPP’s collaboration with The Salvation Army. It describes our efforts to integrate nicotine addiction treatment into The Salvation Army’s alcohol and substance abuse treatment programs.

In addition, NNTPP also released a summary report of our focus group data collected in collaboration with West Virginia University-Prevention Research Center titled Smoking Habits and Prevention Strategies in Low Socio-economic Status Populations. The objectives of the focus groups were to review the social and cultural nuances that support/encourage smoking in low SES populations, identify communication channels most effective in reaching this population with tobacco cessation/prevention messages, and to tailor prevention messages to reach low SES adults.

Copies of the case studies and the focus group summary may be obtained by calling the Health Education Council, toll-free at 1(888) 442-2836 or emailing nntpp@healthedcouncil.org ..

6) Announcements

World No Tobacco Day Community Grant Applications
The U.S. Coalition for World No Tobacco Day has released the 2005 Call for Community Grant Applications. Grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded to organizations planning advocacy activities for World No Tobacco Day. This year’s theme is “Health Professionals and Tobacco Control.” The deadline to apply is March 11.

Call for Proposals: Prescription for Health
“Prescription for Health: Promoting Healthy Behaviors in Primary Care Research Networks” is a five-year national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop, test, evaluate, and disseminate creative, practical strategies to promote healthy behaviors in primary care practices by targeting four behaviors: lack of physical activity, poor diet, tobacco use, and risky use of alcohol. The proposal deadline is

March 7.

2005 Grant Opportunities Notebook

The notebook is a guide to this year's federal funding opportunities for faith-based and community organizations across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Included in the notebook is information on approximately 40 grants in the following areas: Community Development, At-Risk Children and Youth, Senior, Health, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health programs. Also included is information on the Compassion Capital Fund, how to be a grant reviewer, how to make a Freedom of Information request, and web resources for organizations interested in federal funding.