Commercial Tobacco Availability and Promotion in Rural Communities

Commercial tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States. Certain policies and practices have led to significant geographical differences in the prevalence of commercial tobacco use, as well as poor health outcomes associated with commercial tobacco, within the US. The tobacco industry has a long history of targeting rural areas by offering discounts and special sales, tailored advertising, sponsoring cultural events such as rodeos, and placing commercial tobacco products in discount stores. These high-pressure marketing tactics, combined with the lack of state and local comprehensive smoke-free and retail policies, have led to longstanding disparities related to commercial tobacco product initiation, use, and cessation as well as secondhand smoke exposure and commercial tobacco-related health disparities in these areas.

Building Healthier Communities to Reduce Cancer Risk

Researchers continue to uncover how health behaviors like diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and commercial tobacco use, can be risk factors for certain cancers. In fact, a recent study estimates that nearly half of all cancer deaths are associated with these potentially modifiable risk factors. Cancer prevention strategies recommendations from the American Cancer Society (ACS) include maintaining a healthy eating pattern, regular physical activity and limited alcohol and commercial tobacco use.

The Impact of the Retail Environment and Alcohol Outlet Density

The alcohol industry is quite transparent in their goals to recruit new drinkers, including women, Hispanic consumers and “beer rejectors”. One strategy that has seen growing success over the course of the last 20 years is offering new products that are sweeter and easier to drink than traditional beer or distilled spirits. These types of products are increasingly available in convenience stores, grocery stores and mass merchandisers across the country. Differences in alcohol availability can help explain why alcohol-related harms impact some communities more heavily than others.

Webinar Recording Available: Innovative Local Solutions in Public Health

Watch the recording of "Innovative Solutions in Public Health" presented by CADCA’s Geographic Health Equity Alliance (GHEA) and Counter Tools. In this webinar, we’ll discuss innovative policy solutions that began at the local level.

Webinar: Using Local Momentum to Drive State and Federal Policy Change

Assessing local policy change through case studies helps identify lessons learned and keys to success, which can help set the stage for state or national change. GHEA and Counter Tools bring together leaders from the tobacco control field to share insights on how steadfast work at the local level helped to drive policy change across the country.

Webinar: Building the Rationale for Local Policy Change

The ability for cities and towns to tailor laws is vitally important to ensuring these policies adhere to the wants and needs of the communities they impact. In this webinar, speakers will provide a broad rationale for local-level policy efforts and the implications for public health, as well as insight on strategies that have proven successful for local policy implementation. 

New Local Control Webinar Series – Register Today!

Local governments are on the front lines of adopting laws and policies that have the potential to improve health outcomes and reduce inequities. CADCA’s Geographic Health Equity Alliance, in collaboration with Counter Tools, is hosting a three-part webinar series to equip attendees with an understanding of why local policy solutions are so important, lessons learned from local policy implementation efforts and innovative policy strategies built at the local-level. Register today!

Protecting Local Authority to Adopt Local Solutions

In community-based prevention, researchers and professionals have realized that the best solution for one community may not be the same for another. The best solution to address problems in a community often comes from the folks most heavily impacted. Laws and policies adopted at the local level are key to improving health outcomes and reducing inequities because they are community specific solutions.

Addressing the Off-Campus Tobacco Retail Environment to Enhance Tobacco Free Colleges

With many local and state smokefree laws not covering college or university campuses, these institutions have had to work hard to create smokefree environments on campus for their students and staff. The hard work doesn’t have to end there. Considering the off-campus retail environment in tobacco control efforts can be the perfect next step to further protecting the health of college students and their communities.

2021 Geographic Surveillance Learning Collaborative-Applications Now Open!

CADCA’s Geographic Health Equity Alliance and Counter Tools are excited to announce the upcoming 2021 Geographic Surveillance Learning Collaborative for National Tobacco Control and National Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs. Applications are due by Friday, April 30, 2021.

Geographic Surveillance Learning Collaborative 2020 – Highlights from Tobacco Control Programs

Last year, the Geographic Health Equity Alliance and Counter Tools facilitated the inaugural Geographic Surveillance Learning Collaborative for National Comprehensive Cancer Control and National Tobacco Control Programs. This month, we are highlighting some geographic surveillance efforts by the national tobacco control programs of Florida, Georgia and Indiana.

Geographic Surveillance Learning Collaborative 2020 – Highlights from Cancer Control Programs

Last year, CADCA’s Geographic Health Equity Alliance (GHEA) and Counter Tools facilitated the inaugural Geographic Surveillance Learning Collaborative for National Comprehensive Cancer Control and National Tobacco Control Programs. This month, we are highlighting some geographic surveillance efforts by the comprehensive cancer control programs of Alaska, Iowa and Wisconsin.