Promoting a Healthier Maryland through Community Transformation
In an effort to promote healthier lifestyles, reduce health disparities, and control health care spending, MDQuit has joined alongside collaborative partners across Maryland to drive the implementation of a Community Transformation Grant (CTG). This is a public health statewide and community-level initiative to reduce chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes, especially among people experiencing the greatest burden of disease. MDQuit, in conjunction with experts from other academic institutions, will play a lead role in state-wide efforts to promote policy; systems and environmental efforts for tobacco-free living, active living and healthy eating; and clinical and community preventative services for residents in nineteen counties in Maryland.
The Community Transformation Grant was awarded in March 2012 to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Community Transformation Grant has been made possible through a partnership between the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the University of Maryland (UM) in Baltimore to establish the Institute for a Healthiest Maryland.
Together with other academic institutions, MDQuit will work to strengthen state-wide efforts to promote tobacco-free living in seventeen Maryland counties to:
- Assist in cessation and prevention support efforts specifically targeting smoke-free affordable/low income multi-unit housing
- Assist in cessation and prevention support efforts specifically targeting smoke/tobacco-free outdoor areas (e.g., college campuses, parks/beaches under state/local authority).
- Utilize current and build new evidence-based strategies to reduce the exposure to tobacco smoke and tobacco use for seventeen Maryland counties.
- Provide evidence-based resources and deliver targeted training and technical assistance to Maryland communities.
One area of rising concern that MDQuit will specifically focus on involves reducing the prevalence of cigar smoking by youth. Although cigarette smoking amongst youth in Maryland has declined significantly between 2000 and 2010, cigar use by youth in Maryland has remained relatively stable and is evidenced by an increase from 8.8% in 2000 to 9.5% in 2010 (MYTS, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010).To achieve this end, MDQuit will work to increase the number of rural and non-rural jurisdictions educating youth and adults about the dangers of cigar use.
MDQuit in conjunction with the Legal Resource Center (LRC) at the University of Maryland, Carey School of Law hosted a series of regional meetings between September 2012 and January 2013 in an effort to provide technical support for Tobacco-Free Living. For more information and meeting resources, please see our CTG Regional Tobacco Meetings page.
Resources
- On April 18, 2013 the Maryland Resource Center for Quitting Use and Initiation of Tobacco (MDQuit) and the Institute for a Healthiest Maryland hosted guest speaker, Dr. Lorien Abroms. As an associate professor of Prevention and Community Health at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, Dr. Abroms’ research focuses on the application of communication technologies – including emails, text messaging, and smartphone apps – for smoking cessation and other health behaviors.
Dr. Abroms’ presentation provided an overview of the evidence base for using mobile phones as an aid in quitting smoking and an in-depth look at Text2Quit, a text messaging program for smoking cessation that has been integrated into quitline services in selected states. Her presentation titled, “Smoking Cessation: Do we have an app for that?” can be viewed here (Part 1 and Part 2).
- Click here to view the presentation, "Clean Air for Kids Everywhere" by the MDQuit Resource Center delivered on May 3, 2014. This presentation addresses information on first-, second- and third-hand smoke, and strategies for childcare providers to address these circumstances with adults and children.
