BALTIMORE COUNTY TOBACCO USE PREVENTION AND CESSATION PROGRAM
Background:
Baltimore County's Cigarette Restitution Fund Program (CRFP) is based on the Centers for Disease Control's Best Practices guidelines for running an effective tobacco control program. It comprises four priority components: Cessation, Community, School Based, and Enforcement.
Program activities are carried out by health department staff, grantees, contractors, and the members of Tobacco Free Baltimore County, a community coalition made up of individuals and organizations. The programs target at-risk populations including youth, pregnant women, and minorities. Program events and activities can be found on the program web site http://www.bctobaccofree.org/
Community Coalition:
Tobacco Free Baltimore County meets at least six times each year to plan upcoming events, address current tobacco issues for Baltimore County, and advise the Baltimore County Health Department on its annual tobacco use prevention and cessation plan. For information about the Community Coalition or to get involved, call 410-887-3395.
Cessation:
In addition to promoting Maryland's new Quitline, 1-800-Quit-Now, Baltimore County's CRF Program contracts with the American Lung Association of Maryland to help people quit smoking by providing:
- A coordinated media campaign to promote the Quitline and quitting smoking;
- FREE Quit Smoking group programs throughout the County. Persons enrolled in the group counseling programs can receive free patches and gum while supplies last. For information on the free programs, go to http://www.bctobaccofree.org/ or call 1-888-887-0123;
- Training of health professionals to treat nicotine addiction.
Community:
Through a contract with the American Lung Association of Maryland, health department staff, community members and other organizations, the county CRF Program helps educate the community through:
- Mini-grants to community organizations targeting at-risk populations; grant recipients include faith-based organizations, ethnic minorities, and other community organizations across the county;
- Youth led projects targeting the entertainment industry and their portrayal of tobacco use;
- A community-wide education campaign about the dangers of secondhand smoke;
- Faith-based programs such as Not in Mama's Kitchen, Smoke-Free Sabbath, and Smoke-Free Holy Grounds.
School-Based:
The Baltimore County CRF Program educates children and young adults in K-12 public and non-public schools, and colleges, by:
- Providing a grant each year to the Baltimore County Public Schools Safe and Drug Free Schools Program. Every K-12 public school can apply for funds to conduct a tobacco prevention or cessation program for their students, staff, and/or parents;
- Offering funding to support tobacco prevention or cessation programs for students and/or staff to all seven colleges in Baltimore County;
- Providing non-public schools with educational materials and programs.
Enforcement:
The CRF Program works to support and enforce policies to reduce youth access to tobacco and protect people from secondhand smoke. The programs include:
An ongoing effort by the Tobacco Free Baltimore County community coalition to improve enforcement of laws designed to reduce youth access to tobacco;
Enforcement of Maryland's smoke-free workplace law through education and facilitating complaints from Baltimore County residents and workers.
For more information about the Baltimore County Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Program, call 410-887-3395 or e-mail Bob Doyle at rdoyle@co.ba.md.us.
