Tobacco Control and Prevention Program
In November 1988, California voters approved the Tobacco Tax and Health Promotion Act (Proposition 99), making this the first state in the nation to implement a comprehensive tobacco control program. Since that time, the California Department of Public Health, California Tobacco Control Program (CDPH/CTCP) has made large strides in tobacco control and remains the largest of its kind in the world. In an effort to provide an infrastructure that reaches into communities across the state, CTCP has established tobacco control programs in 61 local health departments known as local lead agencies (58 counties and three cities). The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's Tobacco Control and Prevention Program (TCPP) is the largest local lead agency in California in terms of size and funding. TCPP implements a countywide program to reduce youth access to tobacco product, reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and increase access to smoking cessation services.
Since its inception in 1989, TCPP has gained much valuable experience in the field of tobacco control and continues to evolve in order to tackle the complexities and challenges of implementing a successful tobacco control program. Following the lead of the state tobacco control program, TCPP transitioned from a health education approach focusing on individual-level behavior change to a policy-based approach targeting community-level social norms.Since its inception in 1989, TCPP has gained much valuable experience in the field of tobacco control and continues to evolve in order to tackle the complexities and challenges of implementing a successful tobacco control program. Following the lead of the state tobacco control program, TCPP transitioned from a health education approach focusing on individual-level behavior change to a policy-based approach targeting community-level social norms.
A comprehensive approach has greater impact on tobacco use, but requires greater amounts of collaboration, resources, partnerships, and commitment among traditional and non-traditional affiliates. TCPP is fully committed to fostering strong collaborations with and among its contractors, with voluntary health associations, other local lead agencies, and organizations with an interest in tobacco control.
