Conferences

Comprehensive Tobacco Cessation Leadership Project Workshops

Background: The Comprehensive Statewide Tobacco Cessation Leadership Project was designed to assist tobacco control programs to expand tobacco cessation services. This project brought together teams from eight states and national partners in a pilot to provide technical support to help state cessation programs become more comprehensive and successful. Building on the partnership work of the Pacific Center on Health and Tobacco, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Center for Tobacco Cessation, and the Center for Tobacco-Free Kids, this project held two workshops and provided follow-up and technical support.

The first workshop, held on February 24 and 25, 2004 was sponsored by the Pacific Center on Health and Tobacco, the Centers for Disease Control, the Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium, and the Center for Tobacco Cessation. Participants learned the status of tobacco cessation in each state, about successful programs and strategies used in other states, discussed unique challenges and potential strategies, met colleagues who could help, and found useful resources. Continuing from the launch workshop, follow-up technical assistance was provided through topic specific conference calls, individual telephone and email consultation, and some on-site technical support.

The second workshop, held on February 2 and 3, 2005 was sponsored by the original sponsors and also by the American Legacy Foundation, the North American Quitline Consortium, the Tobacco Cessation Leadership Center, and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. This workshop convened state leaders and the national sponsors to highlight the work accomplished during the previous year, to share best practices, resources new developments in the field, and to discuss strategies for addressing existing challenges.