3. If you could look ahead one year, what would you like to see regarding tobacco prevention and control efforts in Minnesota?

Allina

We would like to see additional research conducted in the area of cessation. Our fear is that people will be swayed by political agendas in dispersing "all that money." In such a political climate, talk turns to children and prevention. Little attention is given to current smokers, especially older smokers. Our most immediate pay-back comes when we help current smokers quit.

American Cancer Society

We would like to see a statewide plan which will focus on programs and activities that will help reduce and prevent tobacco use, in every demographic category, among children, adults and communities of color. A plan with a united focus and guaranteed funding. Components of the plan would include public awareness and media campaigns, funding for community agencies to conduct tobacco control activities, cessation activities, policy activities and research. A plan that extends out to a community level, where community-based coalitions have responsibility for its success. A plan that encourages increased coordination among public health organizations who will work together to decrease tobacco prevalence in our state.

Attorney General's Office

It's time for Minnesota to reclaim its place as the national leader on tobacco and health. A year from now, I want Minnesota to be on the way toward breaking tobacco's grip on future generations. I want to see a united health and prevention community win funding for a 25 year campaign to defeat this deadly addiction.

I want to see a renewed sense of mission and urgency in state government, so that Minnesota once more leads the way on issues like environmental tobacco smoke.

And I want to see the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT) spearheading a comprehensive, integrated tobacco control program that is the gold standard against which the rest of the world is measured.

Department of Health

We would like to see funding allocated for a comprehensive, coordinated statewide tobacco prevention plan. Funds however, would not be available until after the legislative session. In the meantime, stakeholders have time to identify their various roles and improve communication, so that we, as a state, can be in the best position to work together in an effective, coordinated manner. We are lucky that Minnesota has a strong history in tobacco prevention and that we have a solid foundation to build on. We have managed to make remarkable inroads in tobacco prevention and control with limited resources. The settlement includes provisions, like eliminating tobacco billboards, that will help in our efforts. If additional funding is also provided to implement a comprehensive plan, we should be ready to make even greater strides in reducing tobacco-related problems in our state.

Department of Children, Families and Learning

• Establish a long-term comprehensive plan for tobacco use prevention and intervention that takes an integrated approach regarding other health behaviors. Within the plan, focus on children and youth and involve coordinated approaches from all sectors including education, public health, private health care providers, parents, employers, recreation and sports activities, law enforcement, youth serving agencies, and the faith communities.
• Clear and consistent policies in schools that emphasize prevention and support intervention to assist youth and adults in stopping smoking.
• Implement effective tobacco education curricula in schools that are in concert with the Graduation Standards.

BlueCross BlueShield

Within the next year, we would like to see prevention and cessation strategies in place in communities across the state that measurably achieve goals set forth by Minnesota Decides:

• Keep tobacco out of the hands of kids, thereby reducing rates of smoking among children
• Assist smokers who want to quit, to quit
• Expand smoke-free environments

Already, in Northeast Minnesota, HealthPlus, a coalition of providers, and BlueCross are taking aggressive steps to reduce tobacco use by youth. Also, the Winona Health Challenge has brought together community members from all walks of life to Trash Nicotine Today in that community. BlueCross is working with the Minnesota Institute of Public Health to help other communities begin tobacco reduction efforts.

HealthPartners

Minnesota would be fortunate if, within a year, the following conditions exist:

• A body has actually dispersed some funds for cessation and research projects.
• New partners see tobacco control as part of their mission.
• The tobacco control community is larger and more diverse yet strong, cohesive and not torn apart by competing desires.
• The legislature and other elected officials are truly committed to reducing tobacco use and the initiation of smoking by young people.
• The scope of local and statewide tobacco control activities is expanded.

Smoke-Free Coalition/Assn. for Nonsmokers

If the health community succeeds in dedicating 11 percent of settlement money to anti-tobacco programs, one year from now the best thinkers in the state will be working intensely to design a research-based program to reduce pro-tobacco messages, prevent children from starting to smoke, and helping adults to quit. We will be at the starting line of one of the most important public health initiatives of all time. All adults will have encouragement to quit smoking and help to do it when they are ready. Media campaigns will be on the drawing board to reinforce messages to quit smoking and protect children from secondhand smoke.

Local Public Health Association

We would like to see achievement of long-term dedicated funding for comprehensive, focused statewide tobacco prevention and control programs that utilize the existing statewide community health services system.

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