State

Collaborations between states and priority population groups are extremely critical for ensuring effective tobacco control programs and policies.  Here, the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network shares how their work with Minnesota, Iowa, California and the North American Quitline Consortium has been important in the prevention and cessation process as well as in the development of relationships between LGBT communities and government agencies:

"Prevention and cessation programs work best when they are tailored to specific communities. This allows individuals to identify with the process and to feel that they are in a safe environment that acknowledges their identity.  The smoking disparities for the LGBT population are huge and they need attention from officials at the state level as well as from leaders within the LGBT community. We are able to make those connections and create bridges between the LGBT community and the state so that they can work together to reach out to those being disproportionately affected by tobacco.

The National LGBT Tobacco Control Network has worked with quitlines from Minnesota, Iowa and California as well as the North American Quitline Consortium. We have a membership with NAQC and have been involved with their data collection. We also gave a presentation on marketing techniques for smoking cessation and prevention in the LGBT community at the NAQC conference in February 2007. In California, we worked with the quitline to create a position statement and in Iowa we helped the quitlines gain funding through a American Legacy Foundation grant. In Minnesota, we have been contracted to work with the quitlines in making sure that staff are trained in cultural competency, to test a quitline question that appropriately includes transgender as a category, and to update existing LGBT material. Our most rewarding communication links to the states have been the 3 CDC/quitline meetings where states have been convened and we present and/or engage in individual discussions with representatives. Our focus has been on training around outreach to the community, cultural competency training and advising about materials.  For most states, this is the first LGBT cultural competency training that they have ever had and hopefully the work will continue to spread into other areas the state can address. "

If you are interested in collaborating with the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network, please email: lgbttobacco@gmail.com or call 617-927-6451.

The National Tribal Tobacco Prevention Network (NTTPN) also regularly collaborates with states in tobacco control efforts.  Many states contact the National Tribal Prevention Network to help them identify and provide tobacco control resources to tribes and villages. The NTTPN collaborates with states to provide culturally relevant tobacco prevention and education training to Native communities.  

During the Great American Smoke Out 2006, the Network joined the State of Oregon Tobacco Prevention and Education Program, Tobacco Free Coalition of Oregon, and the Native American Rehabilitation Association in an outreach event at Portland State University.

If you are interested in collaborating with the National Tribal Tobacco Prevention Network, please email Terresa White (twhite@npaihb.org) or Gerry RainingBird (grainingbird@npaihb.org) or call 503.228.4185.