Summary of the Encouraging Healthy Behaviors Critical Issue Session
Sacramento: Region IX
December 9, 1998
Moderator:
Martina Vogel-Taylor
Office of Disease Prevention, National Inst. of Health
Panelists:
Desiree Backman, DrPH, MS
Director, Nutrition Marketing Cancer Prev. and Nutrition Section,
California Dept. of Health Services
- Current fruit/veg intake per day for state of California is 3.8. It is known that
African-Americans eat less than that and that the quality, availability, expense and
knowledge of how to prepare/store fruits/vegs are all factors that need to be addressed.
- She provided hand-outs and described programs that have to do with the five-a-day
campaign, a program called the Nutrition Network, a women's campaign that targets 35-54
year old age group, Power Play for 9-11 year old kids. There were informational brochures
in English and Spanish on these programs.
- Part of her emphasis was on the school lunch programs and the need for healthier food
choices to be available on the menus.
Robert Leischow, MD
Tobacco Project Administrator, Office of Tobacco and Prevention, Public Health
Services Division, Arizona Department of Health Services
- Dr. Leischow presented information on the Arizona Anti-Smoking campaign. Statistics that
are sobering regarding smoking include 427,000 deaths/year are attributable to smoking.
Currently there are 47 million adult smokers in the US. Teen smoking is a problem of large
proportions in that 47% of high schoolers surveyed are smoking. His project
focused on
teen initiation prevention not adult cessation. 6,000 teens try cigarettes each day. 3,000
per day become regular smokers.
- Part of the problem is that education is lacking about the harm that smoking causes as
well as ignorance about addiction factors. As a result of the campaign there has been an
increase in school-based prevention programs, physician training has become more
prevalent, more pregnant women are quitting, more people in general are trying to quit,
and there is more education taking place at worksites.
- Some work is also being done to assist those trying to quit. A toll-free help line has
been established, an increased number of cessation programs for patient and provider
exist, and community coalitions are forming.
Anne Klink
Coordinator, "Youth Takin' on Tobacco Project,"
California Healthy Cities Program, Center for Civic Partnerships
- Ms. Klink presented information on the California Healthy Cities Project. She described
the successful bid to get California to pass the current state-wide "no smoking in
restaurants and bars" legislation. What worked for them was to create a grass-roots
approach. The goal was to enact local legislation.
- Their strategy was effective in that they worked with elected officials to educate them
about the harms of environmental tobacco smoke. They partnered with women waitresses and
musicians who were sick of having to work in the unhealthy smoke-laden atmosphere and were
ready to take some action.
- They went to places convenient to the local officials such as city council meetings to
provide education. A few mayors were recruited to go and speak to other city councils on
why they passed no-smoking legislation. As most legislators don't want to be the first or
the last to pass ordinances, this was used to build momentum. In two years time 120
ordinances were passed.
- The idea was that the "social norm" approach helps to create a paradigm shift
and create a positive social milieu. If you make a healthy choice an easy choice then you
can begin to counter the advertising power of the tobacco companies.
- She encouraged the audience to not be afraid of the sometimes contentious and conflict
ridden atmosphere of the policy work and legislative process. It is important to get over
being intimidated by this in order to complete the necessary education process so that
clean air can sell itself. This is now what perpetuates the laws as people are pleased
with the clean air and can't imagine moving to a state where this is not the case.
The three key ideas from this session included the following:
- It is important to create a paradigm shift so that the social norm supports healthy
behaviors.
- Successful use of partnering with grass-roots community organization and legislators can
be very effective.