Essential Resources

Advocacy and Legal Issues

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
Action on Smoking and Health, is a nonprofit legal action anti-smoking organization based in the U.S., that has been devoted to the many problems of smoking for over 35 years. Its principal activity is to serve as the legal action arm of the nonsmoking community, bringing or joining in legal actions concerning smoking, and insuring that the voice of the nonsmoker is heard. It also serves as an advocate of the nonsmokers' rights movement. This site provides many links to tobacco-related resources.

Advocacy Institute (AI)
Founded in 1985, the Advocacy Institute works to achieve a just society, in the U.S. and globally, based on the following core values: justice for those denied justice; economic equality for those denied sustenance and opportunity; public health and security for those at preventable risk; and access to political power for those who have been denied an equal voice in the policy-making process. In such a society, all people are able to participate fully in shaping public values and policies. Through reflection, networking with fellow advocates and skill strengthening, the Advocacy Institute facilitates capacity building workshops and seminars that aim to strengthen social movements. The publications list includes a number of resources on tobacco.

Alliance for Justice
The Alliance for Justice is a national association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, women's, children's and consumer advocacy organizations. Since its inception in 1979, the Alliance has worked to advance the cause of justice for all Americans, strengthen the public interest community's ability to influence public policy, and foster the next generation of advocates.

Additional links: Nonprofit Advocacy Project The Nonprofit Advocacy Project works to strengthen the voice of the nonprofit sector in important public policy debates by giving tax-exempt organizations a better understanding of the laws that govern their participation in the policy process. Foundation Advocacy Institute The Foundation Advocacy Initiative seeks to educate grantmakers on their legal rights to support advocacy work through workshops and on-going technical assistance. This project encourages foundations to support nonprofit advocacy work, allowing nonprofits to influence public policy with confidence and commitment.

American Cancer Society – Advocacy in Your Community
Under the “In My Community” section, fill in either your zip code or city/state and press the Go button. Information about your community and how to get involved is provided.

American Heart Association (AHA)
This site includes information on public advocacy, a legislative action center for electronic communication, legislative priorities, advocacy news, facts and statistics, coalitions, organizations and Members of Congress.

American Lung Association (ALA)
Information about becoming an advocate, advocacy updates, public policy briefs and a congressional toolbox is provided.

American Lung Association (ALA) - Tobacco Control Laws in Your State
In January 2003, the American Lung Association published a report that graded each of the 50 states on how they use Master Settlement Agreement and how effectively they combat tobacco use, particularly among children and teenagers. The states received a grade on policies related to Smokefree Air, Youth Access, Tobacco Prevention and Control Spending, and Cigarette Taxes. Specific details of how the state was graded and a summary of each state's smokefree laws/ordinances are provided.

American Public Health Association (APHA) – Legislative Issues and Advocacy
APHA, a member-based organization, brings together researchers, health service providers, administrators, teachers and other health workers in a multidisciplinary environment of professional exchange, study and action. APHA is concerned with a broad set of issues affecting personal and environmental health, including federal and state funding for health programs, pollution control, programs and policies related to chronic and infectious diseases, a smokefree society and professional education in public health. The APHA Web site contains a section that provides links related to legislative issues and advocacy.

Additional link: Media Advocacy Manual Developed in 2000, the "Media Advocacy Manual" includes general information about advocacy and public health. In addition, there is information about planning your message and ways of using the media.

Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights
Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights is a national lobbying organization dedicated to nonsmokers' rights, confronting the tobacco industry at all levels of government to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke and youth from tobacco addiction. ANR pursues an action-oriented program of policy and legislation.

The Web site includes a wide variety of materials, including how to protect yourself from secondhand smoke, health hazards of secondhand smoke, information about local clean indoor air ordinances (including how to pass an ordinance, and the economic impact of ordinances), ventilation issues, preemption, smokefree airports campaign, tobacco industry strategies and tactics, education programs for youth and action alerts.

Additional link: Smokefree Advocacy — How to Pass A Clean Indoor Air Ordinance The section called “Making Your Point” has information about meeting with elected officials, tips for testifying, tips for writing letters, sample speaking and writing points, and media advocacy. Smoke Free Ordinance Lists The Americans for Non-smokers’ Rights Foundation has full updated lists of municipalities and states with smoke free ordinances in effect as of July 7, 2005. State laws and other legislation are also specified.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is fighting to free America's youth from tobacco and to create a healthier environment. Its goals are to alter the public's acceptance of tobacco, change public policies at federal, state and local levels to protect children from tobacco, and increase the number of organizations and individuals fighting against tobacco.

Additional link: Action Center The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids runs an online Action Center where individuals can contact elected officials. KidsBeforeProfits.org In an effort to raise the level of attention paid to tobacco issues, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids launched an online campaign, KidsBeforeProfits.org, urging Governors, U.S. Senators, and candidates for those offices to make tobacco prevention a priority.

Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (CTRI)
The Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention is a nationally recognized academic center established in 1992 by the University of Wisconsin at Madison. It is the designated lead campus agency devoted to confronting tobacco dependence. CTRI is committed to aiding smokers in overcoming their dependence on tobacco and thereby reducing the tremendous burden that tobacco use exacts on the health and finances of American families. The Center accomplishes its aims through four program areas: research, clinical, outreach and education, and policy.

DVDanger Action Kit
This smoke-free movies campaign information kit provides advocates with the resources to involve coalition members and other advocate network groups in educating families about the dangerous DVDs that are labeled with smoking content information.  The kit includes 2006 campaign overview with retailer contact information, 2006-2007 movie list, fact sheet, sample letter to leading DVD retailers, press release, sample newspaper campaign ads and web-ready DVDanger logos.  Click to access this resource.

E-Advocacy for Nonprofits, published by Alliance for Justice
More nonprofits are discovering the power of the Internet to promote their public policy agendas. This is the only guide available that comprehensively addresses the laws governing Internet advocacy, from voter education Web sites to e-mail action alerts. Published 2000. 69 pages.

Legal Resource Center for Tobacco Regulation, Litigation and Advocacy
Housed at the University of Maryland School of Law, the Legal Resource Center for Tobacco Regulation, Litigation, and Advocacy was established in 2001 and is dedicated to giving legal support to communities, community groups, employers, local governments, and others wishing to reduce smoking, the sale of tobacco products to children, and the dangerous health effects of tobacco products. The Center was established with funding from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Office of Health Promotion, Education and Tobacco Use Prevention with monies from the state's tobacco settlement.

LGBT Anti-Tobacco Money Pledge for Legislators
The LGBT Tobacco Research Project at the University of California, San Francisco has created a website that includes the details and tools necessary to encourage state representatives to sign an anti-tobacco pledge. The website features a list of LGBT elected officials from California who have already agreed not to take money from tobacco companies, a sample pledge letter, and a Power Point presentation that explains the methods and approaches organizers can utilize to secure this commitment from state officials. Click here to access the website.

Midwest Academy
The Midwest Academy offers five-day training sessions for leaders and staff of citizen and community groups. The Academy is one of the nation's oldest and best known schools for community organizations, citizen organizations and individuals committed to progressive social change.

New Generation of Tobacco Products Threatens Efforts to Reduce Tobacco Use, Save Lives in U.S., Report Warns
Congress Urged to Grant FDA Authority Over Tobacco Products. Click to view a summary of the new products report or to view the press release.

New Publication – The Verdict Is In (TCLC)
The Tobacco Control Legal Consortium has developed a publication summarizing the court's key findings in the Department of Justice's fraud case against cigarette companies.  You can also download the report (by chapter) by clicking on the title above.

Preemption: Taking the Local Out of Tobacco Control (Why Big Tobacco Hates Local Control, What It Will Do to Eliminate It, How Advocates Can Fight Back)
A resource from the American Medical Association’s SmokeLess States®: National Tobacco Policy Initiative, this guide on preemption – the tobacco industry's favorite weapon against local tobacco control laws, is available at this Web site.

Smokefree Action Network
SmokeFree Action Network offers tobacco control organizations a free place to maintain a Web presence, complete with directory information, event calendar, and action alerts. Individuals can sign up to receive alerts and news and can send an EZ letter to policymakers on a variety of local and national tobacco control topics. EZ letters can be customized by each individual.

Smoke-Free Environments Law Project (SFELP) – The Center for Social Gerontology, Inc.
The Smoke-Free Environments Law Project is a statewide project which provides information, consultation and advice for businesses, local units of government, and individuals in Michigan on policies and practices to protect employees and the general public from the harmful effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and to address the legal requirements and liability issues related to ETS.

This Web site is intended to provide information about ETS and the legal and liability issues related to ETS. While SFELP is a law project serving just Michigan, most of the information on this site is relevant to all states. The materials provided on this site are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be and should not be construed as legal advice.

Strategic Thinking on State Tobacco Tax Increases
This document, published in 2003, is designed to assist public health advocates in recognizing and weighing the strategic decisions that must be made before beginning a campaign to increase tobacco taxes at the state level. As every case is different, this document is intended to guide advocates through the kind of critical thinking that is needed to prepare for a successful campaign. Public health advocates who have considered these strategic decisions will be prepared to be central participants and leaders in discussions of tobacco tax increases.

TALC’s new checklists on adopting tobacco-free legislation
The Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC) has released two new “checklists” in an ongoing series designed to help communities draft and adopt legislation based on our model ordinances. Click here to learn more and view the checklists.

Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC)
The Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC) is a clearinghouse on tobacco policy issues, a place for "one-stop shopping" for solid legal advice. TALC provides free legal technical assistance on the following tobacco control policies: advertising restrictions; retailer licensing; self-service display bans; community event sponsorship by the tobacco industry; the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA); zoning restrictions on tobacco retailers; divestment of public and other funds from tobacco stock; legal options for those affected by smoke in apartment buildings; and other issues upon request.

Additional links: TALC’s Enforcement Roadmaps TALC presents its new Enforcement Roadmaps, designed to make it easier for advocates to identify and move past the roadblocks that stand in the way of effective tobacco law enforcement. The best way to increase enforcement of tobacco laws is to eliminate the barriers that may be impeding local enforcement. However, without an overall sense of how enforcement is designed to occur, ways around the barriers may be difficult to find. TALC has developed a series of Enforcement Roadmaps to illustrate each of the three main enforcement pathways: civil, criminal, and administrative. Each roadmap package consists of two main parts: a booklet and a poster. Together, each package helps advocates identify potential enforcement roadblocks and see the context in which these barriers exist. For questions about these materials or to request copies: contact TALC staff attorney Randy Kline at rkline@phi.org or (510) 444-8252, ext. 303. 10 Ways to Limit Tobacco in Your Community updated TALC has updated their popular publication “10 Ways to Limit Tobacco in Your Community” with new policy options and new graphics. The foldout map and brochure offers 10 innovative ways to use policy to reduce tobacco use in communities.

Ten Policy Changes that Could Curb Tobacco Addiction
A National Action Plan for Tobacco Cessation” includes six recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services, and four public-private partnership proposals. At least one out of 10 US smokers would quit and 3 million premature deaths would be prevented if these policy changes were implemented, researchers suggest.

The Praxis Project: Fighting Back on Budget Cuts — A Toolkit
All over the country, health programs are facing severe budget crises. Tobacco control programs have come under particularly heavy pressure. This publication is designed to be a resource for organizers, community groups and public agencies at various levels of capacity working to build support for healthy budget priorities. This "kit" will help groups better understand the economic context in which budget cuts are taking place, develop strategic communications and organizing plans for approaching this issue and gain tools and methods for researching state budget processes. This kit is based on three assumptions:

• It will require broad, multi-issue coalitions in each state to beat back these cuts, and these coalitions must be formed around our common interests.
• We have to expose problems with the budget process as well as with the budget spending priorities.
• It will be important to go beyond defending our programs to posing alternatives, especially ways to increase revenues at the state level and increased matching funds at the federal level.

Thinking Strategically About Collaboration: Alcohol and Tobacco Control Policy
SmokeLess State has produced a new report titled “Thinking Strategically About Collaboration: Alcohol and Tobacco Control Policy."

Tobacco Control Legal Consortium
The Tobacco Control Legal Consortium is a national network of legal programs supporting tobacco control policy change by giving advocates better access to legal expertise. Drawing on the expertise of its collaborating legal center, the Consortium works to assist communities with urgent legal needs and to increase the legal resources available to the tobacco control movement.

Additional links: Legal Update from the Tobacco Control Legal Consortium Legal Update is a short, user-friendly bulletin from that brings you updates on key legal developments affecting the tobacco control community. There is No Constitutional Right to Smoke A recent publication, There is No Constitutional Right to Smoke, prepared by Samantha Graff of the Technical Assistance Legal Center at the Public Health Institute in Oakland, California debunks the notion that a constitutionally protected right to smoke exists. This law synopsis explains why smoking is not a protected liberty or privacy right under the US Constitution’s Due Process Clause or Equal Protection Clause. It also highlights two types of state laws that may create a limited right to smoke and describes how these laws can be amended or repealed so they do not impede local tobacco control efforts. The synopsis can be found at www.tobaccolawcenter.org under Tobacco Control Legal Consortium, “Resources and Publications.” There is No Constitutional Right to Smoke

Tobacco Control Resource Center, Inc. and The Tobacco Products Liability Project (TPLP)
The Tobacco Control Resources Center, Inc. and The Tobacco Products Liability Project, founded in 1984 by doctors, academics and attorneys, studies, encourages and coordinates 1) products liability suits against the tobacco industry; and 2) legislative and regulatory initiatives to control the sale and use of tobacco as a public health strategy. The legal assistance that TPLP provides to states and municipalities attempting to pass tobacco control measures ensures that such measures are 1) enacted in a legally valid manner; and 2) drafted so as to withstand probable tobacco industry legal challenges to the measures. TPLP ultimately hopes to see 1) the true social cost of cigarette smoking reflected in the cost of each pack of cigarettes; and 2) municipalities undertake tobacco control measures armed with the legal information necessary to resist tobacco industry intimidation.

Tobacco Law Center
The Tobacco Law Center, a legal resource center at William Mitchell College of Law in Minnesota, works to improve tobacco control laws and policies at the local, national and international levels. Through a combination of research, policy development and analysis, technical assistance and strategic consulting, the Center helps policymakers, nonprofit organizations, advocates and health professionals address critical legal issues. The Center provides unbiased, practical information and guidance on emerging problems; encourages the adoption of "best practices" approaches; and pioneers the development of innovative new options. Recent initiatives have focused on the regulation of secondhand smoke, strengthening workers’ rights, the Internet sale of cigarettes, controlling tobacco advertising and promotion, reducing youth access to tobacco, and analyzing international tobacco litigation.

The Center works closely with state and local partners to improve the effectiveness of tobacco prevention efforts in Minnesota. At the national level, the Center has joined with other legal centers to launch the new Tobacco Control Legal Consortium, which will support the creation of new legal resources for tobacco control advocates across the United States. Internationally, the Center has worked with such partners as the World Health Organization, the American Lung Association and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on issues ranging from the international regulation of tobacco to global litigation and access to tobacco industry documents.

Worry-Free Lobbying for Nonprofits: How to Use the 501h Election to Maximize Effectiveness, published by Alliance for Justice
This booklet describes how nonprofit groups, and the foundations that support them, can take advantage of the clear and generous provisions in federal law that encourages their lobbying activities. Published 1999. 12 pages.

Zogby International released results from a poll, conducted on behalf of Lorillard, which shows public opposition to FDA regulation of tobacco products
The Mellman Group, Inc. (D) and Public Opinion Strategies (R), outlines several problematic aspects of the Lorillard/Zogby survey and highlights previous polling (including independent polling) showing broad support for FDA regulation of tobacco products.

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Countering Tobacco Industry Sponsorship

Advertising Bans as a Means of Tobacco Control Policy The results of a systematic literature review reported in the October 2007 issue of International Journal of Public Health imply that advertising bans have a negative but sometimes only narrow impact on consumption and a complete ban has higher effectiveness. View the abstract: click here

Audit of New MPAA Tobacco Ratings Researchers have released an audit of the Motion Picture Association of America's (MPAA) tobacco rating practices, covering the first six months since the new ratings plan went into effect. Download the report: http://repositories.cdlib.org/ctcre/tcpmus/MPAA2007/.

Buck Tobacco Tip Sheets
This series of Tip Sheets reflects best practices to restrict tobacco sponsorship of rodeos. The “best practices” are the results of the Buck Tobacco Sponsorship campaign, a project of the Public Health Trust. The Tip Sheets were written in collaboration with local, state and national-level tobacco control advocates knowledgeable about rodeo sponsorship, and were funded by the Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium (TTAC).

The Tip Sheets are designed to support the work of advocates around the country who want to address tobacco sponsorship at their local rodeos, and they are organized around action ideas based on Buck Tobacco's successes and lessons learned. Included are fact sheets, resource lists, and action ideas for planning and implementing a local project to restrict tobacco sponsorship of rodeos.
 
Further  information about  how to address  tobacco sponsorship  of rodeos  is available on the Buck Tobacco Sponsorship website at www.bucktobacco.org.

Project SMART Money
This organization has been in the vanguard of countering tobacco industry sponsorship in California and would like to help others across the country build the capacity to eliminate tobacco industry sponsorship.

Why Should AAPI Organizations Give Up Their Tobacco Industry Monies?
Developed by Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment and Leadership (APPEAL), this fact sheet targeting AAPI organizations outlines why they should not accept funds from tobacco companies.

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Cessation

SCLC Catalogue of Tools
The Smoking Cessation Leadership Center has developed a catalogue of tools to use in helping smokers quit.  This compilation of existing cessation tools offers Quit Now wallet cards, relapse protocol, smoke-free hospital toolkits, videos, mental health resources and more.  Take advantage of this guide to low-cost or no-cost cessation resources.  Click here to view the SCLC’s many resources, and to download a free copy of the catalogue of tools.

American Legacy Foundation and Mayo Clinic’s EX Cessation Program
This program helps you create a personalized cessation program, which targets the physical, psychological, behavioral and spiritual aspects of addiction. The website also features a Resource Center and an online community for EX members to share their experiences.

American Lung Association’s Freedom from Smoking Online
Seven-week online password-protected cessation program. Description of the program is listed.

Bringing Everyone Along
The tobacco leadership Network is pleased to announce the launch of, Bringing Everyone Along (BEA).  BEA is a two year project funded by the American Legacy Foundation to help professionals adapt tobacco cessation program and services to treat smokers with mental illness and substance abuse disorders.  Click here to read more.

Comprehensive Statewide Tobacco Cessation Leadership Project
The Comprehensive Statewide Tobacco Cessation Leadership Project is an ongoing project designed to assist tobacco control programs to expand tobacco cessation services in their states. The website provides a list of participants, project sponsors, meeting agendas, and presentations from the 2005 meeting. It also provides a valuable resource list of links to important cessation topics.

Guide to Community Preventive Services
See section on Strategies to Increase Tobacco Cessation. The recommendations of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services for interventions to reduce tobacco use and exposure to ETS are based on the strength of the evidence of effectiveness found during systematic reviews of evidence of effectiveness of selected population-based tobacco control and prevention interventions. A determination that evidence is insufficient should not be confused with evidence of ineffectiveness. A recommendation of insufficient evidence may reveal areas where future prevention research is needed.

Harm Reduction Theory Called Into Question by American Cancer Society Study
The American Cancer Society recently released the results of a twenty-year study that tracked more than 112,000 former male smokers who either switched to using spit tobacco (“switchers”) or quit using tobacco products. Researchers observed that after twenty years of follow-up, switchers had a higher rate of death from a variety of tobacco-related diseases than those who quit using tobacco products entirely. To view the research study, please click here.
 
To view policy and position statements in relation to this study and the Harm Reduction Theory please visit the following links:

• The National Network on Tobacco Prevention and Poverty (NNTPP) Policy Statement on Snus and a Harm Reduction Product in Tobacco Cessation
   
• Position Statement Opposing Use of Smokeless Tobacco as a Less Harmful Cessation Treatment in West Virginia
   
• Switching from Cigarettes to Oral Tobacco Products a Poor Substitute for Quitting: American Cancer Society Study Finds Higher Risk of Tobacco-Related Disease among Switchers

Helping Young Smokers Quit: Identifying Best Practices for Tobacco Cessation
The Helping Young Smokers Quit initiative is a two-phase project that addresses the critical need to disseminate effective, developmentally appropriate cessation programs for adolescent smokers. While a growing number of teen cessation programs are available, little is known about: how many programs exist, where they are located, what services they offer, what populations they serve, or how they provide treatment. The HYSQ initiative has two primary aims:

1. Identify and describe tobacco treatment programs available to youth across the United States, and
2. Evaluate smoking cessation programs that are tailored for youth to help understand what works.

How to Quit – Useful Resources to Quit Smoking
Resources include: “You can quit smoking”, “Don’t let another year go up in smoke: Quit Tips”, “I Quit!: What to do when you’re sick of smoking, chewing, or dipping.” The site also includes references for other websites to help quit smoking.

Increasing Demand for and use of Smoking-Cessation Treatments According to an article in the December 2007 Supplement of American Journal of Preventive Medicine, many smokers want to quit but don't. This article recommends steps that can be taken to increase both demand for and use of effective smoking cessation treatments. To view the abstract click here.

National Blueprint for Action: Youth and Adult Tobacco-Use Cessation
The National Blueprint was developed by The Youth Tobacco Cessation Collaborative (YTCC) in 1998–1999 as a consensus document to guide discussions regarding funding research and programs related to youth tobacco use cessation; reflect common goals and objectives among national organizations that fund such efforts; help ensure that funding plans and programs across organizations build the strongest possible national efforts to support youth cessation; and coordinate funding efforts. The group has outlined separate approaches to funding research, implementation, and support and demand. The Blueprint is intended to facilitate planning, discussion and priority-setting for youth tobacco use cessation.

National Cancer Institute New Smoking Cessation Website
The National Cancer Institute’s commercial free smoking cessation website which features an evidence-based online quitting guide, cessation materials for special populations, quit-line information, and instant messaging with cessation experts.

National Partnership to Help Pregnant Smokers Quit Action Plan
A group of organizations, ranging from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality to the Washington Business Group on Health, have joined forces to help pregnant smokers quit smoking. They are committed to working together to reduce the number of pregnant women who smoke to 2 percent or less by 2010. Their plan is to achieve this by translating science-based interventions into effective programs and policies. This will entail:

• Ensuring screening of all pregnant woman for tobacco use, and that all pregnant and postpartum smokers receive cessation counseling
• Using the media effectively
• Harnessing resources in communities and workplaces
• Promoting policies that support smokefree environments and improved access to cessation treatments
• Promoting research, evaluation and surveillance

National Tobacco Cessation Collaborative (NTCC)
The National Tobacco Cessation Collaborative (NTCC) is dedicated to providing the best available information on tobacco cessation. The information included on the NTCC website is compiled from organizations throughout Canada and the United State and includes: a bibliography on cessation research, policy information such as coverage and reimbursement, tobacco taxes, and smoking bans, reports and presentations, and links to tobacco cessation programs and services.

New HHS Guide Helps Nurses Encourage Patients to Quit Smoking
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a new tool that will give nurses evidence-based information that they can use to help their patients quit smoking. The free pocket guide, Helping Smokers Quit: A Guide for Nurses, gives nurses easy access to information based on the “5 As” approach to cessation intervention: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange. It also includes a current listing of smoking cessation medications approved by HHS’ Food and Drug Administration and a referral to HHS’ National Quitline, 1-800-QUIT NOW.

The guide is available on the AHRQ Web site at or by contacting AHRQ’s Publication Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295, or by e-mail at ahrqpubs@ahrq.gov.

North American Quitline Consortium Website
The North American Quitline Consortium's mission is to increase access to smoking quitlines. It seeks to increase the availability and effectiveness of quitline services and maximize collaboration among the professionals that provide the services. The website provides access to a quitline locator map, an electronic newsletter, training and technical assistance, research and evaluation of quitlines, and best practices for organizations.

Predictors of Young Adult Participation in a Cessation Program
An article in the March 2007 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention indicates that race and age were significant predictors of participation for young adults’ ages 18-30 years old. To view the article, please click here.

QuiTIP Database
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids developed this free, searchable, on-line database that contains information on products sold in the US and internationally as tobacco use cessation aids.

Reducing Tobacco Use: The Quest to Quit
A briefing for health reporters, available on the Center for the Advancement of Health Web site. The Center for the Advancement of Health is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes greater recognition of how psychological, social, behavioral, economic and environmental factors influence health and illness. The fundamental aim of the Center is to translate into policy and practice the growing body of evidence that can lead to the improvement and maintenance of the health of individuals and the public.

Smokers' Acceptance of "Cold Calls" Offering Quitline Services Data from a study in the December 2007 issue of Tobacco Control suggests that "cold calls" may be a strategy to extend the use of quitline cessation services. View the abstract.

Smoking Cessation Quitlines
Provides a state-by-state list of toll-free telephone numbers that offer counseling and information about quitting smoking.

Special Issue on Youth Tobacco Cessation
A special supplement to the September/October issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior presents state of the art on adolescent smoking cessation. Topics include: Youth Tobacco Cessation: Filling the Gap Between What We Do and What We Know; The Youth Tobacco Cessation Collaborative and National Blueprint for Action; A Comparison of Review Methods in Tobacco Prevention and Control Guidelines; Application of a Better Practices Framework to Review Youth Tobacco Use Cessation; Better Practices for Youth Tobacco Cessation: Evidence of Review Panel; Recommendations and Guidance for Practice in Youth Tobacco Cessation; and Improving the Future of Youth Smoking Cessation.

Spit Tobacco: A Guide for Quitting
This booklet is designed specifically for young men who have decided to quit using spit tobacco or who are thinking about quitting. It contains information about developing a plan for quitting, as well as information on over-the-counter and prescription medications available to help break the nicotine habit.

State Medicaid Coverage for Tobacco-Dependence Treatments—United States, 2006
If the national Healthy People 2010 objective to increase insurance coverage of evidence-based tobacco-dependence treatments in all 51 Medicaid programs is to be achieved, Medicaid coverage for tobacco-dependence treatments must increase substantially. Despite high smoking prevalence (35%) among recipients, high economic burden, and the availability of evidence-based and cost-effective treatments, 8 state Medicaid programs did not cover any tobacco-dependence treatments, and only one program (Oregon) covered all recommended treatments in 2006. Additionally, even in states that provide coverage, there were significant restrictions on the use of these treatments. Providing full Medicaid coverage for all recommended tobacco dependence treatments, eliminating barriers to the use of these treatments, promoting treatment use, and educating Medicaid recipients and providers about coverage are critical to reducing tobacco use among this increased-risk population. Community and policy interventions (such as increasing the price of tobacco products, sustained media campaigns encouraging cessation and promoting available treatments, comprehensive smoke-free policies, and state-funded quitlines) complement the clinical treatments of tobacco use and increase quit attempts and quitting success. Click to read the full article or click here to learn more.

Teenquit
Teenquit provides help to teens who want to quit smoking. Its components include online support for teens in their efforts to quit smoking while they participate in the Adolescent Smoking Cessation Escaping Nicotine and Tobacco program (ASCENT), a multifaceted school-based intervention.

The Tobacco Cessation Leadership Network’s new website
The mission of the Network is to help increase the capacity in every state to establish effective, sustainable, and affordable cessation services. They seek to do this by linking state and national cessation leaders to share information, resources, and strategies. At the website users can:

• Retrieve existing information and tools for implementing comprehensive tobacco cessation initiatives
• Access new implementation resources and tools developed through the Network and partners as they emerge
• Tune into discussions about implementation issues through conference calls, online postings, and email exchanges

The website also offers the opportunity to join the Tobacco Cessation Leadership Network.

Tobacco Cessation Guideline
The Public Health Service "Clinical Practice Guideline" is the most detailed review of strategies for patients, providers, and health care systems on interventions to increase smoking cessation/control programs. It provides evidence-based recommendations regarding clinical and systems interventions that will increase the likelihood of successful quitting. Note that it was written to be relevant to all tobacco users – those using cigarettes as well as other forms of tobacco.

Tobacco Cessation Tool Kit
The American College of Chest Physicians has updated their Tobacco Cessation Tool Kit with new data and a new format. The new CD-ROM accommodates a video presentation of how to implement tobacco cessation using these tools into your office practice or hospital setting. All patient education materials are now in both English and Spanish.

Tobacco Control for Dental Hygienists
Leading the Way – Helping our Patients be Tobacco Free is a tobacco control curriculum designed for dental hygiene faculty with the intent of providing a comprehensive, ready-made product to give dental hygiene students competency in integrating and normalizing tobacco control in dental care. The adaptable curriculum includes a Faculty Guide with learning objectives, learning activities, assessment tools and references, Presentation Slides in PDF format and an extensive Tool Box.

Tobacco Free Kids Releases 2 Model Tobacco Use Treatment Documents:
Key Elements of a Model Tobacco Use Treatment Benefit
Model Tobacco Use Treatment Benefit Language

Use of Consumer Survey Data to Target Cessation Messages to Smokers Through Mass Media
A recent study has identified the mass media channels that reach the most cigarette smokers. Researchers used data from the 2002-2003 ConsumerStyles and HealthStyles surveys of adults to estimate demographic-specific exposure to television, radio, newspapers and magazines. Primary results indicate that smokers watched more television and listened to more radio, while reading fewer magazines and newspapers than non-smokers. Cable television networks like USA, Lifetime and the Discovery Chanel and radio genres such as classic rock and country had high reach among smokers. Moreover, these channels were found be cost efficient for the number of cigarette smokers reached. Click here to view the study abstract, which is published in the June 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Using the 5A Model to Reduce Exposure to Second Hand Smoke
This useful article, Secondhand Smoke (SHS) Deserves More Than Secondhand Attention: Modifying the 5As Model to Include Counseling to Eliminate Exposure from the American Psychological Association, expands on the 5A guidelines for health care workers to assist nonsmoking patients in reducing their exposure to second hand smoke. Advocates may also use this as a tool to further enhance partnerships with the medical/healthcare community for eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke.

Women and Smoking
The women featured in this advertising campaign are real women battling tobacco-related illnesses like emphysema, lung cancer and throat cancer. The campaign shows the real parting letters to their family and loved ones that they have generously allowed Legacy to use. With this national advertising campaign, Legacy hopes to raise awareness of the toll tobacco has taken upon women and encourage women smokers to seek help to quit smoking. The Web site includes fact sheets, copies of ads, and quitting information, including a quit plan.

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Economics

Annual Report on State Tobacco Control Spending 2005

American Lung Association (ALA) - Tobacco Control Laws in Your State
In January 2003, the American Lung Association published a report that graded each of the 50 states on how they use Master Settlement Agreement and how effectively they combat tobacco use, particularly among children and teenagers. The states received a grade on policies related to Smokefree Air, Youth Access, Tobacco Prevention and Control Spending, and Cigarette Taxes. Specific details of how the state was graded and a summary of each state's smokefree laws/ordinances are provided.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is fighting to free America's youth from tobacco and to create a healthier environment. Its goals are to alter the public's acceptance of tobacco, change public policies at federal, state and local levels to protect children from tobacco, and increase the number of organizations and individuals fighting against tobacco.

Additional links: Research Center The Campaign’s Research Center includes fact sheets and special reports on tobacco’s toll in your state, tobacco settlement spending, issues related to tobacco and youth, secondhand smoke, special populations and many additional topics. Factsheets by Request By request at the factsheets@tobaccofreekids.org e-mail, the Campaign can provide estimates of how much a state's cigarette tax would have to be raised to fully fund its state tobacco prevention program or how much it would have to be raised to obtain funds that would make proposed cuts to the program unnecessary (in both cases, usually only a few pennies). Send the amount at issue and the Campaign can tell you how many cents the state cigarette tax would have to be increased to raise that amount.

Curbing the Epidemic
The World Bank has produced a comprehensive examination of the fiscal, trade, regulatory, agricultural and industrial aspects of global tobacco use and control. The authors have provided empiric and systematic analyses of the economics of tobacco control. The intended audience is Ministries of Finance, Commerce, Trade and Health in low- and middle-income countries and in development agencies, as well as academic economists, epidemiologists, those working in tobacco control programs, and health planners. Much of the material is also useful in the United States.

Economic Costs of Smoking in the United States and the Benefits of Comprehensive Tobacco Legislation
The functions of the Department of the Treasury include: managing Federal finances; collecting taxes, duties and monies paid to and due to the U.S. and paying all bills of the U.S.; producing all postage stamps, currency and coinage; managing government accounts and the public debt; supervising national banks and thrift institutions; advising on domestic and international financial, monetary, economic, trade and tax policy; enforcing Federal finance and tax laws; and investigating and prosecuting tax evaders, counterfeiters, forgers, smugglers, illicit spirits distillers and gun law violators. This document is a March 1998 report that details the costs of smoking on the U.S. economy.

Economic Impact of Smokefree Policies
The American Lung Association (ALA) has released a new report, Fuzzy Math: How the Tobacco Industry Distorts the Truth about the Economic Effects of Smokefree Restaurants and Bars. This publication describes how the tobacco industry uses misleading studies and evidence to convince decision makers that smokefree restaurant and bar laws will have a negative effect on business.

Economics of Tobacco Control
This World Bank site is for researchers, policymakers, advocates and others, as they choose and implement effective tobacco control measures. It includes background papers on tobacco control in developing countries; PowerPoint presentations on tobacco and policies to reduce its harm; common myths and facts about tobacco control; tools that explain how to analyze tobacco demand, employment, taxation and other issues; and effective interventions to reduce tobacco use.

Papers by Dr. Frank Chaloupka
Dr. Frank Chaloupka is Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Director of ImpacTeen: A Policy Research Partnership to Reduce Substance Abuse Use. His research focuses on the economic analysis of substance use and abuse, and emphasizes the role of prices and substance control policies in affecting the demands for tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs, as well as outcomes related to substance use and abuse. This Web site includes many links to papers written by Dr. Chaloupka.

Saving Lives, Saving Money: Why States Should Invest in a Tobacco-Free Future
This report compares 2001 Medicaid costs attributable to smoking with potential savings from reducing the prevalence of smoking by investing in tobacco control programs. It provides state-by-state estimates of the health care cost savings that can be achieved. The report also highlights successful efforts in California, Massachusetts, Maine and Florida, showing the estimated savings in health care costs due to their investment in tobacco control.

Strategic Thinking on State Tobacco Tax Increases
This document, published in 2003, is designed to assist public health advocates in recognizing and weighing the strategic decisions that must be made before beginning a campaign to increase tobacco taxes at the state level. As every case is different, this document is intended to guide advocates through the kind of critical thinking that is needed to prepare for a successful campaign. Public health advocates who have considered these strategic decisions will be prepared to be central participants and leaders in discussions of tobacco tax increases.

Successful Tobacco Tax Campaign in Washington State
In 2001 voters in the state of Washington approved Initiative-773 by a 2-to-1 margin. This initiative, labeled "Healthcare for Washington's Working Families," raised the state's tobacco tax by 60 cents per pack of cigarettes, making it the nation's highest tobacco tax. The revenue generated by the tax hike was dedicated to increasing access to the state's low-income health insurance program and to funding Washington's tobacco prevention and control program. For more information about this successful campaign, contact Dan Newman, I-773's campaign manager, at dan@messageworks.org or (415) 647-2540.

The Economic Impact of Clean Indoor Air Laws
Clean indoor air laws are easily implemented, are well accepted by the public, reduce nonsmoker exposure to secondhand smoke, and contribute to a reduction in overall cigarette consumption. There are currently thousands of clean indoor air laws throughout the Unites States, and the majority of Americans live in areas where smoking is completely prohibited in workplaces, restaurants, or bars. The vast majority of scientific evidence indicates that there is no negative economic impact of clean indoor air policies, with many studies finding that there may be some positive effects on local businesses. This is despite the fact that tobacco industry-sponsored research has attempted to create fears to the contrary. To access the full article click here.

The Praxis Project: Fighting Back on Budget Cuts — A Toolkit
All over the country, health programs are facing severe budget crises. Tobacco control programs have come under particularly heavy pressure. This publication is designed to be a resource for organizers, community groups and public agencies at various levels of capacity working to build support for healthy budget priorities. This "kit" will help groups better understand the economic context in which budget cuts are taking place, develop strategic communications and organizing plans for approaching this issue, and gain tools and methods for researching state budget processes. This kit is based on three assumptions:

• It will require broad, multi-issue coalitions in each state to beat back these cuts, and these coalitions must be formed around our common interests.
• We have to expose problems with the budget process as well as with the budget spending priorities.
• It will be important to go beyond defending our programs to posing alternatives, especially ways to increase revenues at the state level and increased matching funds at the federal level.

U.S. Progress in Reducing Smoking At Risk Unless States Increase Funding For Tobacco Prevention Programs, Report Warns
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network are releasing our annual report assessing whether the states are keeping their promise to use their tobacco settlement funds for tobacco prevention and cessation programs.  This year, the report finds that the states have increased funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs by 20 percent to $717.2 million, the highest level in six years.  However, most states still fail to fund these programs at minimum levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the states combined are providing less than half what the CDC has recommended.  (The report uses the CDC's 1999 funding recommendations. Next year, it will begin to use the CDC's 2007 recommendations that were issued in October.

Links:
• Full Report
• Chart ranking the states
• State-specific press releases

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Evaluation

Antismoking Television Advertising and Socioeconomic Variations in Calls to Quitline
An article in the April 2007 issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health assesses the socioeconomic variations in call rates to the Quitline and the impact of anti-tobacco television advertising on call rates. To view the abstract, please click here.

Demonstrating Your Program's Worth: A Primer on Evaluation for Programs to Prevent Unintentional Injury
A CDC publication, this book shows program managers how to demonstrate the value of their work to the public, to their peers, to funding agencies and to the people they serve. The purpose is to show that managers and staff need not be apprehensive about what evaluation will cost or what it will show. In this book, the authors show why evaluation is worth the resources and effort involved. They also show how to conduct simple evaluations, how to hire and supervise consultants for complex evaluations, and how to incorporate evaluation activities into the activities of the injury prevention program itself. By learning to merge evaluation and program activities, managers will find that evaluation does not take as much time, effort or money as they expected. While this resource is written for those working in the area of unintentional injury, it is a valuable resource for others working in public health.

Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health
Health improvement is what public health professionals strive to achieve. To reach this goal, they must devote their skill – and will – to evaluating the effects of public health actions. As the targets of public health actions have expanded beyond infectious diseases to include chronic diseases, violence, emerging pathogens, threats of bioterrorism, and the social contexts that influence health disparities, the task of evaluation has become more complex. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed this framework for program evaluation to ensure that amidst the complex transition in public health, public health programs remain accountable and committed to achieving measurable health outcomes.

Local Program Evaluation Planning Guide
Based on the Online Tobacco Information System (OTIS) Version 2, this guide provides projects with step-by-step instructions for writing SMART objectives for CX indicators and assets, understanding how the evaluation plan is entered in OTIS, creating the evaluation design and deciding how to collect data, and writing an evaluation narrative. It includes tips, advice and definitions of evaluation terms throughout the guide. The guide also includes a resource list of books, survey instruments, websites, tips on finding an evaluator, and information on rating the final evaluation reports. An accompanying CD (not yet available) includes sample plans with screenshots from OTIS and narratives on how and why the evaluation design was selected and how and why the particular data collection method was used.

Power of Proof-An Evaluation Primer Print Version

Surveillance and Evaluation Data Resources for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs
"Surveillance and Evaluation Data Resources" is an at-a-glance compilation of sources of data useful for tobacco control programs that are conducting surveillance or evaluation. The objective is to provide basic information on each data source to assist state tobacco control programs identify data that are relevant to planning, monitoring and evaluation.

The data sources are organized under major categories: national and state surveys and tools, registries and vital statistics, and topic-specific tools.

Tell Your Story: Guidelines for Preparing a Complete, High Quality Final Evaluation Report
This guide highlights the critical role that evaluation plays in the California Department of Health Services Tobacco Control Section program. The guide may also be helpful tobacco control programs in other states because it includes a discussion on how final evaluation reports are used in local and state tobacco control activities, provides answers to frequently asked questions, and details the required and optional elements featured in a "high quality final evaluation report." Appendices include a full-text sample final evaluation report, a sample Final Evaluation Report Rating Form used by CDHS/TCS staff to score the final evaluation reports, a Final Evaluation Report Checklist (required components for final evaluation report primary objectives), and a Brief Evaluation Report Checklist (non-primary objectives).

University of Wisconsin Monitoring and Evaluation Program
The Wisconsin Tobacco Control Board provides TA for its grantees. However, anyone can access the website for guidance with monitoring and evaluation. The “Multi Year Action Planning”, “Evaluation Planning” and “Evaluation Methods” links on the Resources toolbar provide detailed guidance, templates and worksheets for planning and conducting an evaluation that can be tailored to any program’s needs.

User-Friendly Handbook for Mixed Method Evaluations
Describes the types of evaluations principal investigators/project directors may need to perform on a project. It also describes the evaluation process, including the development of evaluation questions and the collection and analysis of appropriate data. (From National Science Foundation, 1997)

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Global Tobacco Control

World Health Organization Tobacco Free Initiative
Established on April 7, 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) is the health agency for the United Nations. WHO’s objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

The WHO Tobacco Free Initiative site features press releases and highlights of current international tobacco control activities as well as links to regional offices. It also includes links to the following tobacco-related resources.

Additional links: WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) The WHO FCTC is an international health treaty for tobacco control. The document includes proposed measures to reduce tobacco demand and supply, information about environmental protection, questions related to liability, and information about tobacco-related research. Research and Policy Development This site includes information about and links to a variety of research topics. These include smoking cessation, secondhand smoke and youth and tobacco, as well as tobacco-related diseases. Surveillance and Monitoring This site includes information about current surveillance projects, which include the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), the Global School Personnel Survey (GSPS), and the Global Health Professional Survey (GHPS).             Capacity Building This site includes strategies to improve national tobacco control capacity, success stories and lessons learned, and information about capacity building workshops.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Global Tobacco Prevention and Control
This website highlights global tobacco control priorities and objectives, includes links to global youth, school personnel and health professionals’ tobacco surveys, and links to various tobacco control-related databases.

Curbing the Epidemic
The World Bank has produced a comprehensive examination of the fiscal, trade, regulatory, agricultural and industrial aspects of global tobacco use and control. The authors have provided empiric and systematic analyses of the economics of tobacco control. The intended audience is Ministries of Finance, Commerce, Trade and Health in low- and middle-income countries and in development agencies, as well as academic economists, epidemiologists, those working in tobacco control programs, and health planners. Much of the material is also useful in the United States.

Economics of Tobacco Control
This World Bank site is for researchers, policymakers, advocates and others, as they choose and implement effective tobacco control measures. It includes background papers on tobacco control in developing countries; PowerPoint presentations on tobacco and policies to reduce its harm; common myths and facts about tobacco control; tools that explain how to analyze tobacco demand, employment, taxation and other issues; and effective interventions to reduce tobacco use.

GLOBALink: Global Tobacco Control
GLOBALink’s website features current tobacco news in four languages (English, French, German and Spanish), news bulletins, fact sheets, tobacco control resources and papers, as well as country- and subject-specific networks.

Additional link: GLOBALink’s Regional Summaries and Country Profiles Updated in 2003, the individual country profiles include information related to demographics, smoking prevalence, the tobacco economy, smoking-related disease impact and infrastructure for tobacco control. The regional summaries, in turn, are organized into six geographic regions:  Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific.

Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control (GPTC)
GPTC works to strengthen international tobacco control activities at the grass roots level by pairing groups with similar interests and target populations. More specifically, the program pairs groups in the United States and Canada with groups in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union, and assists them in initiating meaningful partnerships.

GlobalTobaccoControl.org
This interactive website, dedicated to enhancing knowledge about global tobacco control, provides free online training and research and policy guidance on how to curtail the global epidemic of tobacco-related deaths. The site is designed for a variety of audiences, including policy makers, researchers, health educators, public health practitioners, students, smoking cessation organizations, and physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals. It features a curriculum on global tobacco control developed by faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in collaboration with internationally recognized experts, interactive multimedia modules featuring tobacco control experts from around the world, and printable certificates of completion.

Global Tobacco Research Network (GTRN)
GTRN’s purpose is to enhance tobacco control research by promoting collaboration and partnerships, providing information, facilitating training, and sharing research tools with the goal of reducing the burden of disease and death caused by tobacco. The GTRN website includes resources for networking, directories of tobacco control researchers and organizations, a tobacco control literature database, research search engines by subject, and information about distance learning and funding opportunities.

International Network of Women Against Tobacco (INWAT)
INWAT is an international network of women against tobacco with the goal of improving women’s health by preventing or stopping tobacco use and exposure. INWAT provides contacts to individuals and organizations working in tobacco control; collects and distributes information regarding global women and tobacco issues; shares strategies to counter tobacco advertising and promotion; supports the development of women-centered tobacco use prevention and cessation programs; assists in the organization and planning of conferences on tobacco control; collaborates on the development of publications regarding women and tobacco issues; and promotes female leadership.

International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC)
The ITC Project is a collaboration of tobacco control researchers from around the world, whose mission is to evaluate the psychosocial and behavioral effects of nationwide tobacco control policies. The study follows a panel of participants from Canada, the United States, Great Britain and Australia over a five year period to demonstrate whether specific tobacco control policies have had the desired effect and how and why those policy effects are achieved.

Research for International Tobacco Control (RITC)
RITC’s mission is to create a strong research, funding and knowledge base for the development of effective tobacco control policies and programs that will minimize the threat of tobacco production and consumption to health and human development in developing countries. RITC funds tobacco control research projects in developing countries that address one of the following five areas: poverty and tobacco; tobacco farming; health systems and interventions; globalization and tobacco; and alternative forms of tobacco use. In addition to funding opportunities, the website includes information about capacity building and links to abstracts of current literature on tobacco control in developing countries.

AFRICA

World Health Organization (WHO) African Regional Office
The WHO African Regional Office website lists and describes current tobacco-related projects, elements of comprehensive national policy as well as country-specific policies, and provides links to publications and speeches.

ASIA

Asia Pacific Association for the Control of Tobacco (APACT)
Founded in 1989 by ten Asian-Pacific countries, APACT seeks to create a completely smoke-free environment by uniting Asian anti-tobacco initiatives to fight transnational tobacco companies. APACT assists in the implementation of tobacco control programs, which include bans on all cigarette smoking, smoking in public ordinances and prevention education. The website features news stories, the option to compare tobacco-related statistics by country, and a discussion board.

Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)
The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, founded in 2001, supports government and non-government tobacco control workers and advocates. SEATCA’s objectives are four-fold:

• Promote the implementation of effective evidence-based tobacco control measures
• Encourage greater cooperation between national and regional tobacco control workers
• Organize and facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and experience
• Strengthen national tobacco control initiatives

The SEATCA website includes a news database, information about current activities, country-specific information, as wells as links to publications and additional resources.

World Health Organization (WHO) Southeast Asia Regional Office Tobacco Free Initiative
The WHO Southeast Asia Regional Office’s Tobacco Free Initiative website features surveillance and other regional reports on tobacco, descriptions of a variety of tobacco-related research projects, and links to the global youth, school personnel and health professionals’ tobacco surveys.

AUSTRALIA

Action on Smoking and Health Australia (ASH)
The ASH website is a comprehensive center of news and resources. The website features specialized information for a variety of people – politicians, health professionals, educators, students and parents. The site also includes an extensive tobacco control news section, with information about local and national happenings. Finally, the ASH website offers links to a wide array of tobacco-related resources and publications.

Quit Victoria
Quit Victoria is an initiative supported by The Cancer Council of Victoria, VicHealth, the Department of Human Services and the National Heart Association.  They offer a website with tools and guidance for people trying to quit their use of tobacco.  Quit Victoria also works with community groups to implement no smoking policies, provide education on tobacco to youth and to reduce the smoking rates.

VicHealth Centre for Tobacco Control (VCTC)
Based at Australia’s Cancer Control Research Institute, the VCTC is a research-focused organization. The website includes a database of researchers and projects, publications and reports, and post-graduate research opportunities. The website also includes Australia-specific industry, policy, health and society watches.

EUROPE

European Network for Smoking Prevention
The European Network for Smoking Prevention promotes the activities of national coalitions and smoking prevention networks across Europe, links individual members and smoking prevention groups  to encourage collaboration, and provides general support to tobacco control agencies in Central and Eastern Europe. Their website includes current tobacco-related news and reports, as well as information related to trends and policies in the European Union.

World Health Organization (WHO) European Regional Office
The WHO European Regional Office website features current news and events, country profiles updated in 2003, a tobacco control database, and a lengthy selection of related links to national and international tobacco control websites.

NORTH AMERICA

Canadian Council for Tobacco Control (CCTC)
CCTC coordinates and supports Canadian tobacco control advocates by creating and maintaining a knowledge network and by connecting individuals and agencies. Their comprehensive website includes information related to prevention, cessation, law, industry watch and advice for health professionals. It also features links to tobacco-related statistics at four levels: provincial and territorial, national, American, and global.

Health Canada: Tobacco Control Programme
Web site for the Tobacco Control Programme in Canada.

SOUTH AMERICA

Brazilian National Cancer Institute Ministry of Health 
This website highlights tobacco control efforts in Brazil, including legislation and a tobacco and other cancer risk factors control program. The website also provides information about the WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Control.

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
The Pan-American Health Organization is an international public health organization that is part of the Inter-American System and the United Nations System. Their tobacco website provides links, many in both Spanish and English, to tobacco-related publications and resources.

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Marketing and Advertising

Smokers' Perceptions of "Natural" Cigarettes and Industry Advertising StrategiesFindings of a study in the December 2007 issue of Tobacco Control support the idea that informing smokers of conventional cigarettes' chemical ingredients could promote cessation, but that it could also increase the popularity of "natural" cigarettes. View the abstract: http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/16/6/e7

The Effect of Cigarette Pack Displays on Impulse Purchase According to a November 2007 Addiction article [Epub ahead of print], point-of purchase cigarette displays act as cues to smoke, even among those not explicitly intending to buy cigarettes, and those trying to avoid smoking. View the abstract: Click Here

American Public Health Association (APHA) – Media Advocacy Manual
This resource is provided by the American Public Health Association. Developed in 2000, the "Media Advocacy Manual" includes general information about advocacy and public health. In addition, there is information about planning your message and ways of using the media.

BADvertising Institute
The BADvertising Institute provides suggestions for programs to alter tobacco ads to provide hard-hitting messages which are the opposite of what the original ads intended. By juxtaposing silly, gross and disgusting images on top of the original ads, they shock people into realizing how tobacco ads are concealing the truth. Their purpose is to immunize kids against the deceptive advertising, marketing and promotional tactics of the tobacco companies.

Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Program
The Office on Smoking and Health has developed a tobacco counter-marketing manual called Designing and Implementing an Effective Tobacco Counter-Marketing Program. Designed primarily for tobacco control program staff in state health departments and national organizations, this comprehensive 450-page document takes the reader step-by-step through the process of developing and implementing a tobacco counter-marketing campaign. By compiling information about what has worked successfully in tobacco control and prevention media campaigns, this resource will help ensure that programs are effective and gain from the past experiences of others. In addition to providing examples from successful campaigns, the manual also includes samples of key documents used throughout the process.

Making Health Communication Programs Work: A Planner’s Guide
The purpose of this guide, developed at the National Cancer Institute, is to learn from and share experiences with those who plan health communication programs. The guide discusses key principles relative to specific steps in program development and includes examples of their use. Sources of additional information on each subject are included at the end of the chapters. A glossary, a bibliography and other resources can be found in the appendices.

Media Campaign Resource Center (MCRC)