NCCC Tobacco-Free N ORTHWESTERN C ONNECTICUT C OMMUNITY C OLLEGE L - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

LORI FEDEWA – CT OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH

NCCC

Tobacco-Free

NORTHWESTERN

CONNECTICUT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

• Located in Winsted, CT
• Current student population: 1299; 71% (920) part-time
• Students from 90 towns
• Approx. 80 full-time faculty and staff
• 100% commuter student population
• Time is limited
• Many students work several jobs and attend college part-time
• No health services on campus
• ½ of all CT undergraduate students (public or private)

attend a community college

#powerofrural

Leadership Commitment

• NCCC President Michael Rooke, PhD
• Tobacco-Free Survey – Dec 2017
• Invite input/discussion from students and staff
• Consider implications for NCCC’s smoking population
• If program supported, implement gradually over 18 mos.
• Highlight education and support over enforcement
• Tobacco-Free Campus Committee
• 9 members from NCCC leadership and 3 from outside organizations help to

ensure broad support

• Director of Student Activities
• Tobacco-Free Ambassadors

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Process

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• Survey results
• Overwhelming majority of respondents in support of NCCC going

tobacco-free

• Some concern that policy might create an unwelcome environment
• Gradual change
• Focus on education vs. enforcement
• Grant Application
• Southern CT State University (SCSU) / CT Dept. of Public Health
• Technical Assistance
• Staff
• State Office of Rural Health
• Director of Student Activities
• Assistance from Tobacco-Free Campus committee, NCCC

departments, including public relations, graphic design, and maintenance

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Incremental Approach

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Policy Effective July 2019

Dec ‘17

Jan- Feb Mar- Apr May- Jun Jul- Aug Sep- Oct Nov- Dec

Upcoming events: Tobacco-free yoga Community forum with pulmonologist

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CT Office of Rural Health

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• Office of Rural Health in every State
• 37 located at a State Dept. of Health
• 10 located within a university or community college
• 3 operate as non-profit entities
• Charged with enhancing access to healthcare in rural CT through:
• Disseminating health-related information
• Coordinating rural activities in the state
• Providing technical assistance
• Office funded by a federal grant from the Health Resources and

Services Administration (HRSA)

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CT Office of Rural Health

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Rural Challenges

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• Rural presents unique challenges
• Distance creates a barrier to access to behavioral health &

medical care

• Rural Disparities
• Higher prevalence of tobacco use in rural areas
• Corresponding higher mortality rate from chronic lower respiratory

disease

• Tobacco use in rural areas decreasing at a much slower rate

than in urban areas

• Two-fold difference in tobacco use among adolescents when

comparing rural vs. urban, 1999 to 2010/2011; leading to on- going health disparities*

• Among adults, an increase in smoking rates in rural areas by

some measures in 2010-11

*Data Source: Walsh Center for Rural Policy Analysis at NORC, Tobacco Use and Rural Populations, 2018

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Cigarette Smoking Among Adolescents #

Data Source: Walsh Center for Rural Policy Analysis/NORC, Tobacco Use and Rural Populations, 2018

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Cigarette Smoking Among Adults #

Data Source: Walsh Center for Rural Policy Analysis/NORC, Tobacco Use and Rural Populations, 2018

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Messaging

• Focus on messaging that resonates with target audience
• Communication – emails, flyers, signage. Blanket campus with

positive messages

• Look at college & university campuses both in CT and nationwide
• Tobacco vs. Vape
• Based on NCCC and partners’ experience, include “vape”
• Use college colors
• Include images of devices for clarification
• Friendly and supportive messaging – “A Healthy Living and Learning

Community”

• Survey of current & projected sign locations
• Temporary signage – laminated cardstock
• Permanent signage – di-bond and aluminum with anti-graffiti coating

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Messaging examples

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Final Signage

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Signage

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Signage

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Community Partners

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• NW CT Partnership for Tobacco-Free Communities
• McCall Center for Behavioral Health
• Torrington Area Health District
• Charlotte Hungerford Hospital
• Press, Smoking Cessation Classes
• Beacon Pharmacy
• Neighborhood pharmacy, NRT vouchers
• Local Prevention Councils
• Vaping a major concern among area high schools
• Tobacco 21 Initiative
• Southern CT State University
• Grant
• Technical Assistance, TFA Training, NRT
• Saturation of and cohesiveness of messaging contributes to

effectiveness; common goal

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Key Grant Activities

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• Tobacco-Free Campus signage
• Support from area hospital for smoking cessation

classes & marketing/promotion

• Tobacco-Free Ambassador (TFA) Training
• Director of Student Activities – UMass online training
• Student Leadership – TFAs part of Student Senate
• TFA Stipends
• Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
• Student Activities
• Popcorn machine/highlight popcorn lung
• Student Welcome Fair

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Student Activities

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Student Activities

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Thank you!

Lori Fedewa, MPH 860-738-6378 lfedewa@nwcc.edu CT Office of Rural Health ruralhealthct.org

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Additional Resources for Rural RHIhub – ruralhealthinfo.org Rural Health Research Gateway - ruralhealthresearch.org Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis/NORC at University of Chicago - ruralhealthresearch.org/centers/walsh New England Rural Health Association - newenglandrha.org

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Additional resources for rural: RHIhub