PROJECT ABSTRACT SUMMARY
Annotation As a trusted leader within the community, LCHC will aim to improve health, prevent chronic diseases, and reduce tobacco-related health disparities among racial and ethnic populations with the highest risk, or burden of disease, specifically, Black/African Americans, and other minorities in the District of Columbia. Through our community coalition of partners, this program aims to promote and support community change through educating youth, adults, community leaders, and policymakers on the harms of menthol and other flavored tobacco products use, awareness of cessation services, enforcement of policies prohibiting the sale of menthol and other flavored tobacco products and promoting policy, system and environmental change impacting Black/African American residents in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8.
Problem Pre-existing inequities have accentuated disparities among vulnerable populations in the District of Columbia, and health outcomes have followed anticipated patterns. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable diseases, disability, and death, with Rates and patterns of death killing more than 480,000 people yearly.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to achieve health equity by empowering DC residents in Wards 4,5,7 and 8, to achieve better health outcomes by increasing (1) knowledge of the harms of menthol and other flavored tobacco products among youth and populations experiencing tobacco-related disparities, (2) awareness of cessation services and coverage options (3) the number of training and education opportunities to increase capacity building, and (4) the reduction of predatory marketing campaigns targeted to Black/African Americans in the District of Columbia.
Strategies: The focus of this project includes the following strategies:
Strategy 1: Engage diverse partners to promote and support social, economic, and community change to increase awareness of the harms of menthol and other flavored tobacco product use and availability.
LCHC will:
1. Train existing and new partners about the harms of menthol and other flavored tobacco product use, predatory tobacco industry marketing, cessation resources, and options for community change to improve equity.
2. Recruit non-traditional partners to collaborate with the community coalition.
Strategy 2: Educate the public, community leaders, partners, and decision-makers on policy, systems, and environmental changes that can prevent and reduce menthol use.
LCHC will:
1. Train community and youth spokespersons to engage in developing and using appropriate messaging to reach populations most impacted and at risk for menthol and other flavored tobacco product use.
2. Educate community leaders, partners, and decision-makers about equitable enforcement of tobacco control policies that reduce menthol and other flavored tobacco product use.
Strategy 3: Implement culturally appropriate interventions tailored to community needs to prevent and reduce menthol and other flavored tobacco product use.
LCHC will:
1. Assess what motivates individuals who use menthol and other flavored tobacco products to make a quit attempt.
Strategy 4: Use research, surveillance, and evaluation to measure progress made in reducing tobacco use and menthol tobacco-related disparities and inform public health action.
Key Activities to meet these strategies are listed in the attached work plan.
