TABLE OF CONTENTS Finding Our Way – Achieving Parity in Tobacco Control   The Forest from the Trees – Understanding Key Concepts   The Tobacco Control Summit – Achieving Parity   Navigating the Trail – Experts Chime In   Scaling the Rock Face – How TTAC Can Help   Resources and Links   Special Thanks

FINDING OUR WAY - ACHIEVING PARITY IN TOBACCO CONTROL

GREETINGS FROM DEARELL
Welcome to the second edition of TTAC Exchange – a technical assistance tool that goes beyond information sharing. On a quarterly basis, TTAC Exchange will offer fresh insight, take an honest and direct approach to bring you information, strategies, and tools, and provide a gateway to resources on current tobacco control issues.

In this issue, we discuss the path to parity in tobacco control. The demographic changes anticipated in the U.S. over the next decade magnify the importance of addressing disparities in health status. Racial, ethnic, and other specific population groups will increase as a proportion of total U.S. population, and the future of America as a whole will be influenced substantially by our success in improving the health of these populations.

Research shows that tobacco control efforts have not been uniformly effective across all population groups or within strata of groups. For example, African-Americans have the highest incidence of lung cancer, but certain subgroups of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders have some of the highest prevalence of tobacco use. In addition, studies have found higher levels of cigarette use among gay men and lesbians than among heterosexuals, but those with higher education levels are less likely to smoke than those with lower levels of education.

While there are no "best practices" or "how to" guides for achieving parity, the good news is that the path to parity utilizes many of the concepts and principles long heralded and practiced in tobacco control and public health. However, it is essential that the tobacco control community go beyond past accomplishments and commit to building the knowledge, skills, abilities and long-term relationships necessary to achieve parity.

We know disparities exist in tobacco control. It is time to redirect our thinking and stop seeing communities as "hard to reach" but rather as "hardly reached" communities. Let's work together to expand and strengthen our reach and effect, so that every community can reap the benefits.

-Dearell Niemeyer, MPH, Executive Director, TTAC

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THE FOREST FROM THE TREES - UNDERSTANDING KEY CONCEPTS
Understanding differences between disparity, diversity and parity can be confusing and debate remains on agreed upon definitions. Take a look at five key concepts that we think will help clarify things a bit, before we address the issue of achieving parity more specifically.

Diversity and disparity are very different in meaning and purpose.
Diversity means that our tobacco control programs are truly representative of the communities we serve. Diversity is not a stand alone concept, and must be inclusive as well - meaning that all representatives are empowered to participate in the decision-making process

Disparity, on the other hand, is a technical term used to describe the gap that exists between specific populations, based on agreed-upon indicators like tobacco use prevalence, mortality, morbidity, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, access to prevention or cessation programs, or tobacco industry marketing.

A tobacco control program with a diverse base does not mean it will automatically address issues of disparity...

• A diversity initiative is directed to a certain population group(s), such as African-Americans.
• A disparity initiative looks at the heterogeneity within a certain population group to determine if a disparity (or gap) exists between subgroups, such as tobacco use by ethnic origin, educational level, or income level in the African-American community. It then develops a comprehensive, integrative approach to reducing the disparity.

Achieving parity is often used interchangeably with eliminating disparity.
While both terms have essentially the same end result - equalizing the outcomes attained between populations in a specific community - the term "achieving parity" also refers to the process by which organizations and communities participate in achieving the outcome. This process involves access to planning and decision-making, capacity and infrastructure building, funding opportunities, and other services that address the disproportional use of tobacco and/or exposure to secondhand smoke.

Achieving parity requires community competence.
Community competence is present when policies, programs, protocols and materials accurately and wholly reflect the history, culture, context and geography of a community.

Achieving parity requires strategies that strengthen the capacity and infrastructure of a community.
Historically, Communities of Color and other populations have lacked the funds, trainings, services, leadership, and other resources needed to engage in tobacco control interventions, in a way most appropriate to their community. Similar to community competence, strengthening capacity and infrastructure is a process which is stimulated and supported by a diverse and inclusive base.

Parity can only be achieved through a comprehensive approach to community development.
Strengthening capacity and infrastructure around tobacco control issues will positively impact other community issues. Developing policies, programs and materials which resonate with the history, culture, context, and geography of a community will enhance its implementation. In this way, parity in health outcomes will be a result of parity in the community.

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THE TOBACCO CONTROL SUMMIT – ACHIEVING PARITY
One of the best resources on the issue of parity in tobacco control is Moving Toward Health - Achieving Parity through Tobacco Control for All Communities (MTH). Prepared by the Independent Task Force on Advancing Parity and Leadership for Priority Populations, MTH is a toolkit that serves as an introductory document to engage tobacco control advocates, community-based organizations, coalitions, health departments, and all levels of government organizations in a dialogue on parity that will hopefully lead to lasting effects.

Although the mission of achieving parity in tobacco control seems daunting, some solid progress has been made. We can accelerate this process by applying lessons learned. For example, ethnic-specific and priority population networks and leadership programs have recently secured funding to help move tobacco control toward parity by building the skills, collaboration, capacity and leadership of heterogeneous communities, and disparity issues are being addressed at the national, state and local levels. At all levels of tobacco control the goal is the same: to address the needs of all of the diverse people living in a community.

Read on for highlights of some key points in Moving Toward Health...

Expanding the Role of Tobacco Control Workers
Tobacco control workers and advocates must demonstrate greater sensitivity to issues of inclusivity and parity.
They can and must:

• Ensure that tobacco issues for diverse communities are integral in the strategic agenda planning and development process of each organization
• Include parity training for all organization members on a long-term cultural competency plan
• Demonstrate exactly what is at stake if inclusivity and parity are not advanced or achieved
• Study ethnic-specific subgroups and priority populations across the full spectrum of tobacco issues
• Value and fund community participatory research approaches where communities are equal partners with academic institutions
• Ensure adequate representation of diverse communities on Independent Review Boards and proposal review committees
• Expand involvement of leaders to include community-based organizations, community-specific medical, nursing, public health, educational and housing groups, labor organizations, churches, faith communities, indigenous groups, tribal councils and any other sector of the community impacted by tobacco
• Support other initiatives that have meaning to the community and make linkages with other important health care issues, such as asthma and diabetes

Expanding the Role of Diverse Community Members
Diverse communities and priority populations can also help advance this process of achieving parity.
They can and should:

• Recognize existing leadership and key decision-makers within the community who have experience with a breadth of health and community issues
• Serve as spokespersons, advocates and technical assistants to others in the community
• Seek continuous funding to support capacity building and relationship development efforts
• Set an example by becoming culturally and community competent and demonstrating inclusivity
• Discuss tobacco issues in open forums with a representative group of community members
• Devise mechanisms for providing feedback to mainstream organizations regarding advancements toward parity in tobacco control

Given the uphill nature of this struggle, Communities of Color and priority populations will have to prioritize their tobacco control goals.
To start, the priorities should be to:

• Get more involved in tobacco control policy development and activities
• Advocate for low-cost cessation services that are culturally, community and linguistically competent
• Recognize the global impact of tobacco and the problems around transnational tobacco control, including advertising, smuggling and policy issues

Progressive Pointers - Six Core Activities
The tool kit recommends and provides guidance on six core activities. While this is not a "recipe" for success, these recommendations are based on the experience of tobacco control experts, some of whom are interviewed in this issue of Exchange.

1. Conduct self-assessment of organizational diversity and inclusivity
   • Assess the composition of your organization's Board of Directors, staff and volunteers and whether they reflect the racial, ethnic and priority populations in your community
   • Consider whether your organization's policies, funding streams, strategic plans and programs address the needs and concerns of priority populations
   • Outline strategies and steps to take to address those discrepancies revealed in the assessment
   
   
2. Increase community knowledge
   • Seek out information and maintain the knowledge about all priority populations-and their concerns-in your community
   • Consider new or additional methods for learning about all members of your community, including focus groups, key informant interviews, surveys and canvassing
   • Provide opportunities for in-depth knowledge of the community, such as town meetings
   
   
3. Build relationships
   • Identify members of community-based organizations, clinics, associations and other community leaders from priority populations and visit them in their institutions
   • Keep track of key events in the community and contacts with whom you can collaborate
   • Support and participate in local community events
   • Reach out to groups within your community to partner with you to build comprehensive tobacco control programs
   
   
4. Make tobacco relevant
   • Find ways to relate tobacco to the community's issues and concerns
   • Understand as fully as possible the impact tobacco has had on priority populations in your community
   • Provide appropriate tobacco control information in ways that are interesting to the various groups
   
   
5. Become inclusive in process
   • Include members of priority populations in your organization's planning process and policy efforts
   • Provide adequate funding to support tobacco control efforts in priority populations
   
   
6. Develop measurable goals and objectives and conduct evaluation
   • Set goals and objectives for your organization with concrete outcomes that can measure whether you are achieving inclusivity and parity for all groups in your community
   • Utilize evaluation tools to assure that your goals, objectives and strategies are working
   • Use the information you glean to guide you in developing programs, policy changes and outcomes
   
   

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NAVIGATING THE TRAIL – EXPERTS CHIME IN
We asked experts Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Director, California Hispanic/Latino Tobacco Education Network, and William Robinson, Executive Council Chair of the National African American Tobacco Control Network, some difficult questions. Read on for their perspectives on achieving parity in tobacco control.

Why do you think achieving parity in tobacco control is important?

Lourdes: Our goal is to have a healthy nation overall. Tobacco is the number on preventable cause of death and disease in the country. Tobacco use affects many aspects of our health: cancer, heart disease, asthma and others. By achieving parity in tobacco control, we will not only be reducing the number of premature deaths and the prevalence of tobacco-related disease, we will be moving towards parity in other health areas as well. For example, one aspect of parity is access to health care. As we move towards parity in tobacco control, we will also be moving towards closing the gap in health care access, which will have a domino effect on other areas of health.

Bill: Achieving parity in tobacco control is necessary because it is the only way the movement will effectively combat the tobacco industry. The tobacco industry is extremely competent in its ability to reach a diversified market. The tobacco control movement must become as culturally competent in every segment of the population in order to address, then weaken, the influence of the industry. In this regard, the tobacco control movement, overall, still has work to do to be as effective as the industry in reaching diverse populations. In some ways, it's not even in the same game.

We know that the term "achieving parity" also refers to the process by which organizations and communities participate to eliminate disparity. Given that, what key steps are necessary to make the process of achieving parity a successful one?

Lourdes: It is important that an organization conducts a self-assessment of their diversity and inclusivity and focus on increasing the knowledge and skills needed to effectively work with the intended population. Make tobacco relevant to the community. Most Communities of Color face a multitude of problems, and tobacco use per se may not be at the top of their list. However, because tobacco use is related to many health issues, it can be incorporated in other concerns through culturally appropriate means. Achieving parity can not be done haphazardly; like all programs in tobacco control, there must be a plan with measurable goals, objectives and an evaluation. What goal is achieved is just as important as how that goal is achieved. Underlying all of these steps is the importance of building relationships. Parity can not be achieved without this element.

Bill: There are two key steps to achieving parity. The first step is to have a healthy respect and understanding for everyone's history, culture and economic dynamics. This applies to Communities of Color, sexual preference, age, geographic location (rural vs. urban) and other segments of the population that exhibit distinct differences. The second step is to attain the same level of capacity and infrastructure as the majority population. Diverse populations must strive too hard for the same level of funding, access, researchers, education, advocacy, and other resources. Without equal levels of capacity and infrastructure, it will never be possible to achieve parity.

There is some debate in tobacco control about the difference between eliminating disparity and achieving parity. Some would argue that the terms are indeed not interchangeable. What is your opinion? How can they work together for the greatest outcome and impact?

Lourdes: Just as the World Health Organization defines health as stages of well-being and more than the absence of disease, achieving parity means more than the elimination of disparities. Achieving parity has as its end goal a healthy process, in which there is parity in how decisions are made, how resources and funding are distributed, and what programs are implemented, as well as the elimination of disparities. The goal is to achieve an equitable stage of health and well-being for all groups, regardless of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Eliminating disparities can be viewed simply as the elimination of the disease itself, without regard to the development of a healthy process which will sustain health parity. Ideally, these two processes should work together for the greatest impact.

Bill: Disparity exists because we have institutionalized mechanisms in place that prevent parity. Racism, sexism, ageism, and a host of other "isms" have been systemized to the point where capacity and infrastructure in certain population groups is far less than the majority population. Achieving parity infers that resources will be distributed equitably amongst all population groups. Eliminating disparity in itself is an achievement, but it is only one aspect of achieving parity.

In tobacco control, what has worked and what hasn't on the road to achieving parity? What are the major areas where we need to improve our efforts?

Lourdes: In addressing the needs of priority populations, much attention must be given to developing culturally appropriate materials and methods. This goes beyond literacy level or mere translation to cultural adaptation. Programs also need to be funded at the appropriate level. Achieving parity is a process which takes several years, and funding agencies must understand this. Too often programs are initially funded, but after a couple of years progress appears to be stalled because funding agencies are not aware of the importance of building relationships, capacity and infrastructure. Measurable benchmarks must be delineated to show funding agencies that the program is achieving its goal. It is important to realize that achieving parity in one area can magnify disparities in another area, if a comprehensive approach to achieving parity is not used. For example, progress has been made in closing the disparity in cancer screenings, however without equal access to health care, disparities in the treatment of cancer becomes significant. It is therefore very important to have a plan, formulated by the community itself, to avoid such situations.

Bill: Achieving parity requires creativity, flexibility and out-of-the-box thinking. One can not use a cookie cutter approach. Every population group has its own unique flavor, shape, color and characteristics. It is necessary for some to "step out" of the public health paradigm box and have the courage and audacity to demand an equitable share of funding and resources for all involved in addressing the issue.

Diversity and inclusivity are sometimes viewed as separate issues. Is there value in bringing them together as 'one' in tobacco control? If so, what are some specific things the tobacco control community can do to make that happen?

Lourdes: Diversity and inclusivity are two separate issues. Diversity refers to the representation of the heterogeneity of a community in a meeting, activity or program. Inclusivity refers to including those representatives in the planning and decision-making process in a substantive way. Together, diversity and inclusivity move a community closer to parity. Tobacco control is still striving for inclusivity. To achieve this, tobacco control coalitions must examine their board, its mission and goals, its agenda and its processes to assure that it reflects the priority population's needs; much of this can be accomplished in a coalition self-assessment. Parity training for leaders, staff, and volunteers is also recommended.

Bill: Diversity, without inclusivity, is simply window-dressing. An agency or organization may be diverse in that people of minority populations are occupying positions, but without access and participation in the decision-making process, there is no real inclusivity. An organization is inclusive when all people at the table have the same authority and accountability. In order to achieve diversity and inclusivity in tobacco control, the movement needs to continue to hire people of diverse populations and trust them to be the experts in determining the best ways to reach their own communities ... as everyone else does.

Though there is no recipe for community competence, in your view what are some of the key elements necessary to achieve this? What are some of the indicators that tell us that community competence has been achieved?

Lourdes: Community competence is present when any specific population group can successfully move forward its agenda. This requires an equitable distribution of knowledge, resources and assets within a community. It is one important step in the process of achieving parity. Community competence includes cultural competence. Cultural competence must be both intracultural and intercultural. Intracultural competence refers to looking at the cultural practices of individual subgroups within a larger population group. Cultural practices of Mexicans may be very different than the cultural practices of Puerto Ricans, even though both are classified as Hispanic. Intercultural competence refers to understanding the nuances between distinct population groups, such as the LGBT and the straight community. Disparities exist both intraculturally and interculturally; the more culturally competent a community becomes, the more likely it will be successful in achieving parity. Community competence can be measured by specific benchmarks and stages of readiness. There is also a qualitative aspect of it which requires a different kind of research to reflect the variety of issues facing each distinct group.

Bill: Community competence is achieved when the culture, history and economics of a community are so well understood that these elements are built into its programs and services. Programs and services that are in concert with the traditions, beliefs, values and demographics of a community are the foundation of building the capacity and infrastructure necessary to achieve parity. One indicator of community competence is when a minority community is able to independently pursue experts, funding and resources without interference from outsiders. Another indicator is the presence of educators, researchers and advocates who represent the diversity within that very community.

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SCALING THE ROCK FACE - HOW TTAC CAN HELP
TTAC is committed to help tobacco control achieve parity by:

	(1)	Providing technical assistance and training to community and state tobacco control programs, to improve their effectiveness;
	(2)	Working with partners to provide community and state level tobacco control information and resources necessary to achieve parity, and
	(3)	Recruiting a diversified pool of consultants.

TTAC can provide services related to the six core activities outlined in Moving Toward Health at no, low, or shared cost.

For example, TTAC can:

1. Assist in identifying appropriate assessment tools
   • You don't always have time to create new material. Let TTAC help make the best use of your time.
2. Develop culturally appropriate materials
   • Cultural appropriateness is more than just translating words. TTAC can connect you with experts to help make your materials appropriate for your audience(s).
3. Solve conflicts and create effective partnerships
   • Partnerships take work and energy and require a special set of knowledge, skills and abilities to make them work. TTAC can help you develop and strengthen the capabilities of your organization.
4. Prepare culturally relevant communication and outreach plans
   • TTAC can help create plans for diverse communities and build the skills necessary to carry them out.
5. Provide training in cultural competency
   • TTAC can help through training, to improve understanding and abilities to effective outreach to diverse communities.
6. Aid in developing strategic and action plans
   • TTAC can help write strategic and action plans to reach and achieve goals.

Highlights of what TTAC has been doing to help tobacco control achieve parity:

• Partnering national organizations like APPEAL, NAATPN, and LCAT to enhance projects and activities
• Working with a steering group representing a variety of LGBT organizations to assist in the creation of a LGBT Community Action Plan for Comprehensive Tobacco Control
• Partnering with the American Legacy Foundation's priority population initiative to provide specialized technical assistance to their grantees
• Partnering with The Praxis Project to support tobacco control advocates with training, strategic consultation and technical assistance on core policy advocacy issues including grassroots organizing, strategic planning, policy analysis, and coalition building. The initiative is designed to help the movement effectively face the challenges in this new phase of work: budget cuts, organizing in rural areas and urban centers, and building a representative movement for tobacco control.
• Developed "LGBT Populations and Tobacco" presentation revealing varied methods of tobacco industry marketing to LGBT people; the reasons behind LGBT vulnerability to tobacco marketing messages; and strategies and a call to action for tobacco control professionals working to decrease tobacco use prevalence among LGBT people. For a free copy of the presentation on CD-ROM, send a request to: ttac@sph.emory.edu
• Met with CDC's National Networks and Tribal Support Centers about technical assistance and consulting opportunities

General TTAC services include tailored consultation and training to help:

• Develop communication plans
• Train spokespeople for media encounters
• Mobilize local advocates
• Improve collaborations with partners
• Clarify organizational boundaries in educating, advocating, and lobbying
• Develop political strategies

Whether you need short-term consultation via telephone to get your own creative juices flowing, or longer-term, on-site assistance developing your team's skills in planning and advocacy, TTAC can work with you to build your capacity for success.

For more information:
Online: http://www.ttac.org/request/int.html
Email: ttac@sph.emory.edu
Phone: 404-712-8474

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RESOURCES AND LINKS
TTAC wants to hear from you...
Please let us know about any resources you have found particularly helpful, so we may add them to our website. Send suggestions directly to: ttac@sph.emory.edu.

The American Legacy Foundation
The American Legacy Foundation was established in March 1999 as a result of the Master Settlement Agreement to improve the health of all Americans by changing attitudes and behaviors that relate to tobacco use. Legacy promotes efforts to study, develop, and implement programs that target underserved populations, including ethnic/racial minority groups. Visit them online at: http://www.americanlegacy.org.

The Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment and Leadership (APPEAL)
APPEAL's mission is to prevent tobacco use in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community through five priority areas: network development, capacity building, education, advocacy, and leadership development. APPEAL's web site provides a wealth of fact sheets, recommendations, and assessments for working with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Visit them online at: http://www.appealforcommunities.org.

Bibliography of Tobacco Use and Health Disparities
This bibliography features literature about tobacco-related health disparities, which focus on 1) special populations such as: Asian American and Pacific Islander, Native American, African American, Latino/ Hispanic American, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT); and 2) themes such as: religion, mental illness, disabilities, correctional facilities, occupation, rural/urban areas, and gender. Visit it online at:
http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/tcrb/bibliography_tobacco.html.

Building a Successful Prevention Program: Step 1: Community Readiness and Mobilization
This overview of community readiness is provided by the Western Center for Application of Prevention Technologies. It includes stages of community readiness and community readiness assessment tools. Visit it online at: http://www.unr.edu/westcapt/bestpractices/commread.htm.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office on Smoking and Health is responsible for leading and coordinating strategic efforts aimed at: preventing tobacco use among youth; promoting smoking cessation among youth and adults; protecting nonsmokers from environmental tobacco smoke (ETS); and, eliminating tobacco-related health disparities. Visit them online at: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco.

Closing the Gaps: Identifying & Eliminating Tobacco Related Disparities in Oregon
This document provides an example of one state's plan to identify and eliminate disparities. As part of a project funded through CDC, Oregon's Tobacco Prevention and Education Program, Tobacco Disparities Planning Committee examined data, identified and defined disparities, and made recommendations about how to move all communities forward in the reduction of tobacco use. Visit it online at: http://www.ohd.hr.state.or.us/tobacco/tdpp/index.cfm.

Community Tool Box: Cultural Competence in a Multicultural World
This section of the Community Tool Box, a comprehensive community program resource center, covers a range of topics related to cultural competence including understanding cultures and multicultural collaboration. Each topic includes an overview, tools, and links to related areas of community programs. Visit it online at: http://ctb.lsi.ukans.edu/tools/EN/chapter_1027.htm.

Indian Health Service (IHS)
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is the agency within the Department of Health and Human Services that works to assure that comprehensive, culturally acceptable personal and public health services are available and accessible to American Indian and Alaska Native people. The IHS page on Tobacco Control includes information about the six Tribal Tobacco Support Centers and tailored health education materials. Visit them online at: http://www.ihs.gov/medicalprograms/epi/tobcco.asp.

LGBT Populations and Tobacco - Perry Stevens, for TTAC, 2003
Lesbians/Gays/Bisexuals/Transgender (LGBT) people experience some of the highest tobacco use prevalence rates of any specific population. The limited research available indicates rates of smoking as high as twice that of the general population for both youth and adult LGBT populations. In the CD-ROM "LGBT Populations and Tobacco," TTAC reveals the varied methods of tobacco industry marketing to LGBT people; examines the reasons behind LGBT vulnerability to tobacco marketing messages; and presents strategies and a call to action for tobacco control professionals working to decrease tobacco use prevalence among LGBT people. For a free copy of the CD-ROM, send a request to ttac@sph.emory.edu.

Moving Toward Health: Achieving Parity through Tobacco Control for All Communities
This toolkit prepared by the Independent Task Force on Advancing Parity and Leadership for Priority Populations serves as an introductory document to engage tobacco control advocates and other interested parties in a dialogue on parity--a dialogue that will hopefully lead to action and the elimination of tobacco disparities. Available from Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment and Leadership (APPEAL): Visit them online at:  http://www.appealforcommunities.org.

National Association of African Americans for Positive Imagery (NAAAPI)
National Association of African Americans for Positive Imagery believes the mission of tobacco control advocacy is to change social policy or societal norms through education and action. One of its current projects is called Breathe Free. It includes "Breathing Free: African Americans and Secondhand Smoke," a special clean indoor air booklet designed to address cultural issues that are part of the African American experience-such as extended families, respect for elders, and rejection of all forms of discrimination. Visit them online at http://www.naaapi.org/tobacco/default.asp.

National African American Tobacco Prevention Network
The National African American Tobacco Prevention Network provides technical support to African Americans interested in reducing tobacco use in the African American community. Visit them online at: http://www.naatpn.org.

National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Centers (NALGBTCC)
The National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual Community Centers is heading a project to focus on tobacco use in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual population (LGBT). The mission of this project is to assist in coordinating existing LGBT smoke-free initiatives and prepare community centers to carry out tobacco programming such as prevention programs, media campaigns, peer organizing, cessation programs, and developing policies around tobacco industry donations. Site contains samples of tobacco industry ads and LGBT tobacco prevention and control ads. Visit them online at http://www.lgbtcenters.org/Tobacco.htm.

National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention (LCAT)
National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention (LCAT) is a Latino national organization dedicated solely to reducing the harm caused by alcohol and tobacco in the Latino community. LCAT is dedicated to providing research, policy analysis, community education, training, and information dissemination. The LCAT site contains fact sheets relevant to tobacco use in the Latino community. Visit them online at http://www.nlcatp.org.

National Tribal Tobacco Prevention Network
The National Tribal Tobacco Prevention Network is an alliance of tobacco education and prevention advocates committed to improving the wellness of American Indian and Alaska Native people by working to reduce tobacco use. The Network's web site includes a comprehensive directory of organizations and individuals at the state and national level working on this issue. Includes information about the CDC Tribal Support Centers. Visit them online at: http://www.npaihb.org/tnet/.

Out of Many, One
Out of Many, One: Campaign to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health believes that the attainment of the highest level of health and quality of life is a basic human and civil right. OMO assists community-based organizations, federal, state and local government agencies to build effective multicultural coalitions addressing minority health and health disparities. Visit them online at http://www.outofmany1.org.

The Praxis Project
The focus of the Praxis Project is to support local policy change for health justice. It serves as the National Program Office for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Policy Advocacy on Tobacco and Health (PATH), an initiative that provides grants, technical assistance and training to support tobacco policy advocacy in diverse communities. Visit them online at: http://www.thepraxisproject.org.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is the largest US foundation devoted to improving the health and health care of all Americans. RWJF concentrates its grant-making in four areas: the assurance that all Americans have access to basic health care at reasonable cost; the improvement of care and support for people with chronic health conditions; the promotion of healthy communities and lifestyles; and, the reduction of personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse-tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Visit them online at: http://www.rwjf.org/index.jsp.

Surveillance and Evaluation Data Resources for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs
This compilation of data sources was prepared for tobacco control programs that are conducting surveillance or evaluation. The data sources listed here provide a wide variety of tobacco-related information and can be used to identify disparate populations. Visit it online at: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/surveillance_manual/contents.html.

Tobacco Information and Prevention Source (TIPS): Specific Populations
This section of CDC's TIPS web site provides fact sheets, graphs, and links to reports on tobacco use and prevalence among specific populations (including women, African-Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics). Visit it online at: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/specpop.htm.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Minority Health (USDHHS-OMH)
US Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Minority Health focuses on public health issues affecting American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, Blacks/African Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos. Their goal is to improve the health of racial and ethnic populations through the development of effective health policies and programs that help to eliminate disparities in health. Visit them online at http://www.omhrc.gov.

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SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati
Shelly Bratton
Samantha Helfert
Gloria Lee
Robert Robinson
William Robinson
Elva Yanez

TTAC Exchange Staff:
Aliki P. Weakland, Editor in Chief
JoAnn Weiss, Staff Writer
Lisbeth Klau, Staff Writer

Click here to view previous issues of TTAC Exchange