Vermont's comprehensive public health framework for tobacco control and prevention

Abstract

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the Best Practices Guide for Comprehensive Tobacco Control – 2014 it provided an opportunity for Vermont's Tobacco Control Program to create a new state plan. Bringing together partner agencies, advocates and health organizations, the workgroup faced a challenge: there wasn't consensus around focusing on e-cigarettes. There was concern that if too much emphasis was placed on addressing this emerging product, it would be at the cost of reducing combustible use. Youth smoking rates were declining while adult smoking prevalence in Vermont remained stagnant and difficult to move downward.Through applying the lens of best practice and examining the data, the workgroup determined that an ambitious state plan was necessary. Adopting a set of principles grounded in public health and performance measurement, the plan's five goals are to reduce use of all tobacco products among youth and adults. The state plan established a vision of a Vermont free of tobacco use for the program and partners to use, emphasizing data-driven interventions and advancing policymaking, including addressing flavored tobacco products. The tobacco control and regulatory framework in Vermont has worked consistently at the state and local level on strategies involving youth engagement, coalition prevention activities, counter marketing and enforcement.Vermont's framework has evolved to recognize that no matter where a Vermonter is living or working, the protections and services provided by a tobacco program should be equitable. Future application of the public health framework includes exploring innovative policy approaches to curtail the vaping epidemic.