In the last 20 years, even 10 years, we’ve seen a gradual decrease in tobacco use, even with youth. As more and more youth pick up the habit and as more and more smokers suffer and die, this product continues to wreak habit on our community, and more needs to be done to put an end to this epidemic.
Representatives from Legacy for Health presented on our successes, challenges and goals for the next ten years, with highlights on our progress in the past decade. In absence of Cheryl Heaton of Legacy Health, Dave Dobbins presented on steps for states to be doing to work on elimination of tobacco.
David Dobbins, Legacy Health
What should states be doing?
Taxation/point-of-sale policies – move tobacco sales to their own stores like liquor stores
Smokefree Air Laws
Warning labels and pack design
Regulatory requirements/incentives to move away from more harmful products
Eliminate flavoring
Youth Outreach
Physician trainings in cessation
Perform more research to provide evidence
As we reflect on our accomplishments from the last ten years, and the goals we made then, we should aim even higher for the next ten years to create smoke-free generation of youth.
Emilia Dunham is currently a Project Manager at MassHealth/Department of Public Health, and formerly the Project Manager of the Life Skills project at The Fenway Institute, an HIV intervention study for young transgender women. Emilia worked at Fenway for 7 years, first as a Quality Control and Regulatory Assistant mainly involved with biomedical HIV prevention trials, before serving as the Program Associate for The Network for LGBT Health Equity, a network instrumental in many national LGBT health policy improvements. She is also involved with the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, serving as a Steering Committee member and the Policy Committee Co-Chair, an organization largely responsible for the recent passage of the Trans Rights Bill. Additionally she serves as a member of the Massachusetts Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth, Co-Chair of the Recommendations Committee. Emilia received a Bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University. There she served as President of the LGBTQ student group where she planned programs such as Pride Week, Transgender Day of Remembrance, and AIDS Week. In addition, she advocated for LGBTQ inclusive policies and programming on campus such as a Gender Neutral Housing program, an LGBTQ Center and the expansion of Women’s Studies to Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Emilia recently earned a Master of Public Policy and Master of Business Administration in health policy and management from the Brandeis Heller School School for Social Policy and Management.
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by Emilia Dunham
LGBT HealthLink, The Network for Health Equity 