MAY/JUNE 2006
Volume 12 - No. 2
Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies
SRNT Newsletter
May/June 2006, Volume 12, Number 2
Research at the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health
Office Overview: CDC's Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) is based in Atlanta, with a government liaison office in Washington, D.C. OSH is, first and foremost, a partner, collaborating not only with federal agencies within and outside of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) but also with state health departments, tobacco control organizations, public health partners, research organizations, educational institutions, international health agencies, and private-sector businesses affiliated with or fielding tobacco control initiatives.
Long-Term Goals: To facilitate developing and sustaining effective state programs, OSH published a document called Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. In this guidance document, CDC recommends that states establish tobacco control programs that are comprehensive, sustainable, and accountable. The four goals of a comprehensive program are to prevent initiation among youth and young adults, promote tobacco use cessation among adults and youth, eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, and identify and eliminate tobacco-related disparities.
OSH's Core Functions
1) Expand the science base for effective tobacco control;
2) Build sustainable capacity and infrastructure for comprehensive tobacco control
programs and policies;
3) Communicate timely, relevant information about tobacco issues to policy makers,
health professionals, business leaders, partners, and the public.
OSH's Strategic Priorities: As OSH's responsibilities have grown and tobacco control has become more complex, the need for the office to take stock of its vision, mission, and direction has increased. In response to that need, OSH engaged in an intensive strategic planning effort starting in 2001. Since then, OSH not only has continued to refine its vision, mission, core values, and core functions but also has established strategic priorities for the coming years. Our strategic planning efforts were intended to help us focus our resources in the most critical areas—and we are beginning to see payoffs. These strategic priorities were developed with the expectation that they would be priorities for 2 to 3 years.
Office of the Director (OD): The Office of the Director is responsible for providing broad leadership and direction for all scientific, policy, and programmatic issues related to tobacco control and use prevention. The Associate Director for Science provides broad scientific direction to OSH programs and supervises the development of Surgeon General's reports on smoking and health. The Associate Director for Program Development provides broad direction for tobacco control programs and new initiatives, particularly in the area of developing strategic approaches for eliminating disparities. The Office of the Director houses the following units: Policy, Planning, and Coordination Unit; Resource Management Unit; and Global Tobacco Control Program.
Policy, Planning, and Coordination Unit: The Policy, Planning, and Coordination Unit is responsible for providing technical assistance to policy makers and national leadership on tobacco control policies, strategies, and initiatives. The unit provides technical support to the Surgeon General on tobacco-related health issues and functions as the executive secretary for the Secretary of Health and Human Services' Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health. The unit includes a policy liaison office in Washington, D.C., that maintains contacts with Washington; D.C.-based policy makers and partners on issues related to tobacco use and control. The liaison office fosters collaboration with nongovernmental organizations and policy-making partners to advance tobacco control interests, support national tobacco control priorities, and perform its statutory responsibilities.
Resource Management Unit: The Resource Management Unit is responsible for managing the internal resources of OSH and the day-to-day administrative operations related to human resources, financial management, travel, procurement, facilities, and property management.
Global Tobacco Control Program: The Global Tobacco Control Program (GTCP) is responsible for fostering global tobacco control initiatives by expanding the science base through surveillance and research, building capacity, promoting information exchange, and sharing expertise. The objectives for the Global Tobacco Control Program are to strengthen global tobacco surveillance, promote the dissemination and translation of data to action and build and maintain strategic partnerships to leverage resources for efficient and sustainable tobacco control activities. In order to achieve these objectives, the Global Tobacco Control Program works through bilateral or multilateral partnerships and with health ministries and international agencies throughout the world.
Epidemiology Branch (Epi): The Epidemiology Branch is responsible for conducting and coordinating research, surveillance, and evaluation activities related to the health effects of tobacco use. The branch provides technical assistance to states, territories, national networks, and Tribal Support Centers on surveillance and evaluation methods, including working with programs to conduct the Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS) and Adult Tobacco Survey (ATS). The Epidemiology Branch mission is to advance the science base of tobacco control through a multidisciplinary program of applied research, surveillance, and evaluation. The Epidemiology Branch goal is to reduce the burden of disease through the synthesis and translation of research into practice and the dissemination of scientific findings.
Health Communications Branch (HCB): The Health Communications Branch is responsible for (a) keeping the public, policy makers, health professionals, and partners informed of developments and initiatives related to tobacco control and (b) promoting positive changes regarding health behaviors, practices, and policies. The Health Communications Branch serves as a primary resource for tobacco and health information. The branch develops and distributes information about tobacco and health to the public, professionals, various branches of government, and other interested groups nationwide using a wide array of formats and media channels.
Program Services Branch (PSB): The Program Services Branch is responsible for (a) directing and managing the National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) and other extramural activities to address tobacco use and (b) providing and supporting training and technical assistance to 50 states, the District of Columbia, seven U.S. territories, eight national networks, and seven tribal support centers. OSH participated in CDC's grant consolidation and streamlining effort by including NTCP funding as a component of the Chronic Disease and Health Promotion program announcement. This tobacco component emphasizes policy-focused interventions and contains 11 performance measures that will help states achieve short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes. The program also encourages states to use key indicators to measure progress toward achieving the goals outlined in their annual action plans. The mission of the Program Services Branch is to expand and enhance the implementation of effective tobacco use prevention and control interventions. The branch fulfills this mission by working with state health departments, national organizations, and national and federal partners to build capacity to support successful interventions to reduce and prevent tobacco use.
About the author: Linda Pederson is currently a consultant to the Health Communication and Epidemiology Branches with CDC OSH. Her research interests include youth smoking and initiation, young adult tobacco use, smoking in racial and ethnic groups, coverage of tobacco in the media, and youth exposure to anti- and pro-tobacco media messages.