Friday, November 22, 2024
11/22/2024
The purpose of the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control (TUPAC) Program in New Mexico (NM) is to improve lives by eliminating the harm from tobacco abuse through the implementation of effective strategies that incorporate an anti-oppression model. TUPAC works with communities, schools, and organizations across the state to implement comprehensive, evidence-based activities and services that decrease the harmful and addictive use of commercial tobacco, outside of its traditional, sacred or ceremonial purposes. TUPAC and its partners promote healthy lifestyles that are free from tobacco abuse and addiction. This approach reduces tobacco-related illness, saves lives, and saves money in New Mexico. TUPAC has been in existence for more than two decades as the State Tobacco Control Program. TUPAC addresses a variety of challenges in delivering those services, as it is a sparsely populated (2.1 million), primarily rural state located next to the Mexican border, with a number of socioeconomic and health care access issues that impact overall well-being and health outcomes. Tobacco use exacts a significant burden in NM. About 2,800 New Mexicans die annually from smoking, 84,000 people suffer with a smoking-related disease, and the leading causes of smoking-related death are COPD and lung cancer. Smoking-related health care costs in NM amount to about $844 million, annually. TUPAC follows recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The proposed project focuses on the four National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) goals by implementing evidence-based environmental, policy, and systems interventions and strategies at the population level. Efforts aim at reducing the burden of death and disease associated with tobacco use in NM by decreasing tobacco use prevalence and the number of people exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). TUPAC will undertake these efforts in collaboration with partner agencies in NM and nationally, particularly partners addressing chronic disease and tobacco-related disparities. Through this integrated and coordinated work, TUPAC expects to achieve the following outcomes during the five-year project period: fewer youth (<18 years) and young adults (18-29 year-olds) will initiate use of any tobacco product, fewer New Mexicans will be exposed to SHS—especially populations who face tobacco-related disparities, and youth and adults who want to quit using tobacco will have access to evidence-based, barrier-free cessation services. TUPAC will engage in equity-focused quality improvement processes in all NTCP goal areas to ensure quality services that address tobacco-related disparities. The TUPAC Program requests $952,384 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Year 1 of this project period. The Program will also leverage State Master Agreement Settlement Funds allocated to TUPAC to ensure a robust, comprehensive tobacco control program for the State of New Mexico. The TUPAC Program has a proven history of using CDC funds and State Master Settlement Agreement Funds efficiently to ensure comprehensive tobacco control efforts statewide. The NM Department of Health (NMDOH) has the fiscal capacity to ensure TUPAC uses CDC funds efficiently to deliver a comprehensive tobacco control program. Staff from TUPAC have the skills, knowledge, and experience to deliver highly effective technical assistance to partners and contractors. Staff expertise, in turn, will result in highly effective interventions that will produce the outcomes expected.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
