The Wellness Coalition’s innovation and commitment to improving the health of the people of Montgomery was recognized with a grant from the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). As a result, TWC and ADPH will collaborate to conduct a community needs assessment and develop a 5-year strategic plan to reduce tobacco dependence and exposure.

The Need for Tobacco-Free Initiatives in Montgomery

In a state with failing scores for tobacco prevention funding, the strength of smoke-free workplace laws, access to services to quit tobacco, and the level of state tobacco taxes, there can be no end in sight for the war on smoking.

Tobacco use and dependence remain the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Each year, approximately 480,000 people die from smoking, including more than 41,000 from secondhand smoke-related deaths. Despite tobacco use and dependence reduction among the general population, Black America disproportionately dies from smoking.

Tobacco use is a significant contributor to the three leading causes of death among African Americans—heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

The purpose of this program is to improve health equity amongst African Americans by:

  • Preventing the use of tobacco among youth and adults
  • Providing more options to treat tobacco dependence
  • Encouraging current smokers to quit
  • Protecting non-smokers from exposure to smoke

Engaging in Ongoing Work for Smoke-Free Public Spaces

TWC will continue its work in reducing second-and third-hand smoke exposure in multi-unit housing and worksites and has created a toolkit called “Increase Profits with a Smoke-free Policy: A Guide for Apartment Owners and Managers” to encourage the adoption of smoke-free policies.

We surveyed apartment residents to gauge their indoor exposure to smoking, the existence of smoking policies, and their support for a smoke-free policy.
TWC also works with partnered health care providers to ensure every patient is screened for tobacco use, advised to quit, and provided resources for counseling and medications.

Clean Air Task Force

In collaboration with ADPH, TWC will create a health disparities coalition to develop and implement appropriate policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies and activities to address community disparities within the African American community regarding tobacco prevention and control.

If you are interested in joining our Smoke-free Montgomery Task Force, please go to bit.ly/SFTASKFORCEMGM.

Freedom From Smoking Program

TWC is currently looking for sites to host a “Freedom From Smoking” (FFS) tobacco cessation program. FFS group clinics include eight sessions led by a certified facilitator with a small group of 8-16 people. The program features a systematic plan for quitting smoking, and each session is designed to help smokers gain control over their behavior.

Because no single quit smoking plan is right for all smokers, the program presents various evidence-based techniques for individuals to combine into their plan to quit smoking. The clinic format also encourages participants to work on the process and problems of quitting both individually and as part of a group.

For more information, call (334) 293-6502 or visit thewellnesscoalition.org/tobacco.