Accomplishments

Accomplishments (since July 1, 2008):

• Established Steering and Advisory Committees. Held two face-to-face meetings of these Committees. Created a 5 Year Strategic Plan that is being followed and monitored.  Held three conference calls between all committee members yearly to guide the work of the Network.  Created a Management Committee that meets monthly to manage the daily program and financial activities of the Network, and its staff and assures reports to CDC.
• Maintained and strengthened the National Latino Tobacco Control Network, by participating in national, state and local conferences to make the network known and the tobacco issue relevant and thereby increasing membership to over 2,500 and assuring diversity and inclusion of researchers, community leaders, state health officials and advocates.
• Facilitated learning and information sharing between the network members by publishing a monthly Newsletter, Action Alerts, creating and mantaining a Website that houses a National Directory  containing over 450 names of advocates and a Consultant database of those working on tobacco control in Latino communities.
• Conducted a Zoomerang Survey in order to determine the needs of the Network members and modified the NLTCN Work Plans in accordance to their needs and desires.
• Published fact sheets and reports in English and Spanish about the tobacco epidemic in Latino communities, women, youth, Latino LGBT and its impact on chronic diseases.
• Established a close relationship with Puerto Rico’s Tobacco Coalition and published a Success Story about the importance of using comprehensive approaches to tobacco control and working to assure that tobacco industry tactics do not gain terrain in the island.
• Sponsored a Survey among LGBT Latinos in Puerto Rico in order to fill the gap in data about this community and assure its inclusion in activities in Puerto Rico and advocated for inclusion of this community in the BRFSS and other data gathering surveys.
• Promoted the importance of addressing tobacco control issues by publishing Media Alerts, holding press conferences, and interviews on TV, radio and print media when reports and/or achievements are attained.
• Created a Resource Center with over 500 documents at ILI, to gather curriculums, materials and brochures in English and Spanish and developed a database that is allows Network members to request this information as needed.
• Supported the work of community based organizations in the US Mexico Border and local efforts to make San Antonio, Texas, a smoke city.  Will continue to support advocacy to make the state of Texas a smoke-free State.
• Provided Technical Assistance and/or Training to build capacity in the Latino community to support Clean Indoor Air ordinances, stop sponsorship of tobacco industry of events, support tax increases, keep tobacco budget appropriations, achieve smoke-free housing, parks, cars, and bus stops, institutionalization of tobacco cessation in community clinics, and integration of tobacco and diabetes in the states of : Indiana, Texas, Washington, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, New York, California, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
• Advocated and testified for banning Menthol Cigarrettes and for strong FDA regulations of tobacco products, as well as implementation of these regulations.
• Encouraged researchers to asses the impact of tobacco on the population, including low and intermitent smokers, menthol users,  as well as gaps in data, intervention and/or evaluation of promising and best practices and supported the publication of several peer reviewed articles on tobacco control issues in Latino communities.
• Built alliances with other National Networks in order to co-sponsor training programs, publish fact sheets and materials, launch joint policy statements, and work together in several states in order to build multi-cultural and priority population’s capacity to move policy forward.
• Collaborated with National Partners in support of institutionalization of cessation in community health settings, promote culturally and lingustically appropriate cessation services by the Quitlines, joining the Board of Directors of the North American Quitline Consortium, and supporting the efforts on the US/Mexico Border, and participating in the PARTNERS network in support of national efforts.
• Created the Network website which houses a National Directory of the Networks