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| On August 2, 2006, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health convened It's Quitting Time L.A!, the first ever countywide smoking cessation summit. The goal of the summit was to develop an action plan to position Los Angeles County to be one of the first urban counties in the United States to reach the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Healthy People 2010 goal of reducing the adult smoking prevalence to no more than 12% (a reduction of approximately 200,000 smokers). Summit organizers brought together 125 high-level leaders, representing approximately 70 organizations representing public health, physicians, nurses, dentists, health plans, pharmaceutical companies, universities, and retail outlets, to identify and implement effective strategies in key areas of smoking cessation, specifically pharmacotherapy and counseling. The summit partners identified seven overarching strategies: 1) provider education, 2) employer programs, 3) media, 4) funding for cessation services, 5) youth education, 6) pharmacy support for appropriate and effective pharmacotherapy, and 7) increased utilization of the California Smokers' Helpline. During the summit, participants formed workgroups to develop actions plans for the seven strategies. The action plans included specific activities, resources, and a timeline for completion. In the months since the summit, the workgroups have met several times to complete or further refine action plans. Many have begun collaborating on a variety of activities, such as training of Community Health Plan Providers, implementing a smoking cessation program in DPH clinics, and promoting It's Quitting Time L.A.! and the California Smokers' Helpline through radio ads, County pay warrants, and local pharmacy chains. |
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It's Quitting Time LA is funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Tobacco Control & Prevention Program. |
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