Drexel’s Gender-Specific Tobacco Programs Continue to Grow
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) has awarded grant funding to the Office of Government and Community Relations (OGCR) for over six years to provide gender specific tobacco programs for women, pregnant women and men. During this time, about 600 individuals have been helped to make the major life change of stopping smoking. The addition of cessation programs for pregnant women and men began during 2006 at the request of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. In order to develop a successful model for reaching and assisting these populations, collaborative relationships have been developed with multiple community organizations that are focused on working specifically with women or men. In addition to providing assistance to individuals interested in stopping smoking, OGCR staff Alison Tartaglia, MSPH, CHES, TAS and George James, MFT also offer education programs on tobacco prevention issues for staff of clinical groups and community agencies.
In December 2006, OGCR was awarded funding from the American Legacy Foundation for a Young Men’s Tobacco Project, targeting 18-24 year old men not in college with tobacco education and cessation. Since the project began, four focus groups and a pilot intervention were conducted. As a result of focus group feedback, the intervention was implemented through a work readiness center where participants were already linked. Blending an intervention with other activities valued by the target population has been successful; further funding is being sought to continue this work.
The unique approach and challenges of providing gender-specific tobacco cessation programs for the community has also brought national recognition to OGCR with the presentation of the 2006 DeJong Award for Vision and Leadership in Collegiate Tobacco Control to Cynthia Livingston (P.I. for the grants) and an invitation to OGCR staff members to present information on their work at the 2006 and 2007 national conferences of the American Public Health Association. For more information regarding these programs, please contact the Office of Government and Community Relations at 215-255-7889.