Background & Mission

TTAC was established in 2001 through grants from the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Legacy Foundation (Legacy), and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to provide technical assistance, information resources, and training for state and local tobacco control programs.
 
As the funders envisioned, TTAC was formed to help address the needs of the tobacco control community as a number of states established or invigorated comprehensive tobacco control programs due to an influx of resources from the Master Settlement Agreement or tobacco tax funding campaigns. The Funders recognized the urgency for both new and established programs to demonstrate success in a short time frame.
 
TTAC’s role toward this effort was, and continues to be, assisting state and local programs and working in collaboration with national partners to develop and support comprehensive tobacco control programs and progress toward proven strategies. Our mission is to build capacity within the field to achieve effective tobacco prevention and control programs and policies.
 
TTAC is located in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta in convenient proximity to the national offices of the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The academic setting affords the opportunity for consulting relationships with experts in needs assessment, health education technology, and tobacco control as well as offers an environment that is conducive to the collaborative efforts that are important to TTAC’s success.
 

Guiding Principles

TTAC strives to create collaborative work environments that foster creativity, inclusiveness, innovation, continuous learning, and the celebration of achievements. After years of providing quality technical assistance, TTAC knows that many different paths exist to achieve common outcomes. Our goal is to work in partnership with our colleagues to assess needs, fill gaps, and provide viable solutions to overcome challenges. We work openly, with a sense of urgency, in the spirit of respect, collaboration and trust; with enthusiasm and commitment to public health principles and the highest ethical standards.
 

Philosophical Approach

TTAC provides training and technical assistance to increase knowledge and skills, cultivate leadership, increase organizational effectiveness, and strengthen partnerships. TTAC also develops products to meet identified educational needs and hosts a robust website to share valuable, up-to-date information related to tobacco prevention and control. The ultimate purpose of TTAC’s efforts is to develop and support the ability of practitioners in the tobacco control field to grow strong and robust tobacco control programs. This is what we call capacity building.
 

Experience

TTAC builds capacity in tobacco control by providing individualized technical assistance, developing and implementing training programs, developing and disseminating products and tools, providing information through a robust website, and through continued partnerships and collaborations with others working toward the same mission of decreasing the use of tobacco products in the US.
 
TTAC provides technical assistance services to national, state, local, and community organizations to build skills and expertise, with the goal of strengthening and enhancing program effectiveness. During the past three years, TTAC has responded to over 450 requests and has provided tailored training and/or technical assistance services in all 50 states. TTAC has reacted to a wide variety of requests ranging from identifying tobacco control resources, to consulting on the development of strategic plans, to delivering educational trainings on cultural competence and reaching diverse populations.
 
Click here for a complete list of available TTAC tools and products.
 

TTAC’s Evolution

Since the creation of TTAC, many states have established robust tobacco control programs. Yet much work remains to be done, whether it is continuing to secure funding to sustain current efforts; the ongoing development of effective state and local programs; or the organization of local and state initiatives to advance prevention efforts. TTAC has become a trusted and unique resource to the field.
 
As the original Funders had hoped, TTAC provides a comprehensive and seamless system for the technical assistance and training that is essential in today’s tobacco control environment. While a number of organizations offer quality assistance addressing a variety of specific content areas and populations, TTAC fills existing gaps and provides a collaborative framework that fosters the breadth and depth of assistance necessary for the tobacco control movement – past and present.