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OVERVIEW OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAM

The Los Angeles County Tobacco Control Prevention Program (TCPP) is part of the Division of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in the Department of Health Services. It was established as a result of the tobacco tax initiative of 1988, Proposition 99/AB75, in December of 1989. The goal of TCPP is to establish policies, health services, public education, and media conditions that support the reduction of tobacco use in Los Angeles County and the associated disease, disability and mortality.

The TCPP supports the three priority areas of the California State Tobacco Control Section which are:

• protect people from exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke
• reveal and counter tobacco industry influences
• reduce youth access to tobacco products


These priority areas are supported through the following strategies:

Support of community coalitions so that there is a comprehensive approach designed to change social norms with respect and recognition of the ethnic, cultural and gender issues that surround tobacco prevention.

Identify and contract with community based agencies to conduct education, community mobilization and health policy work.

Build additional capacity in community resources, recognizing that change in the social environment of tobacco use in local communities, must come from the grassroots level up, not mandated from the top.

Build on existing programs, deepen involvement of community organizations, and promote availability of tangible tobacco control services to the public at large.


Increase the public's awareness of the ill effects of tobacco use, to motivate youth not to start smoking and adults to stop, and to ensure that tobacco cessation services are accessible to those who want to quit.

Benefits

"Tobacco smoke travels from its point of generation in a building to all
other areas of the building. It has been shown to move through light fixtures, through ceiling crawl spaces, and into and out of doorways."

"Once exposed, building occupants are at risk for the irritant, allergic, acute and chronic cardiopulmonary and carcinogenic adverse health effects which are known to be associated with environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure."

According to the California Environmental protection Agency, which released an eight-volume study of secondhand smoke in 1997, secondhand smoke is a direct cause of lung cancer, nasal sinus cancer, heart disease, and sudden infant death syndrome.

Secondhand smoke is a Class A carcinogen. That means it is known to cause cancer in humans, with no safe level of exposure. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1993.)

Secondhand smoke is responsible for up to 300,000 serious breathing illnesses each year in infants and children. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1993.)