We get a lot of visitors or enquiries from people interested in running there own cessation service with BMEG communities and ask us to share our knowledge of whats works best. Recently we had a few enquiries regarding our work and I thought I’d mention the Ann McNiel and Adam Crosier Mapping Study done in 2003.
According to the ‘Mapping BMEG tobacco prevention resources’ by Crosier and McNeil in 2003, most projects were short term and an approach was needed to share good practice at national and local level. Some of the projects identified were no longer running because of limited or short term funding. Evidence based work at local level to target BMEG and therefore to back cessation programs was lacking for specific community groups or the evidence base was not being utilised. The report called for regional and local advocates from BMEG groups to work and promote cessation programs in their locality and encouraged upstream activity looking at the points were tobacco is accessed within a community. For example Ethnic minority tobacco use is related to social and economic differences and promoting public health policy specifically with BMEG will improve success rates. So, in 2003 we ran a campaign leading up to No Smoking Day working with local Bengali retailers who were likely to sell paan and tobacco products. 10,000 carrier bags were distributed to 150 retailers in two phases. Before and after surveys of the level of knowledge the retailers had in health and safety and tobacco packaging were surveyed. The bags advertised the project supporting tobacco chewers and raised the knowledge of retailers with regards to selling tobacco and paan materials.
The shops would sell products that were easily accessible to children and paan or betel nut would be stored on the bottom shelves. The tobacco products came with no health messages and sometimes no indication of ingredients. The campaign successfully raised awareness about the importance of packaging and health safety with regards to storage and increased people wanting to give up tobacco use.
High demand should be met with a culturally sensitive approach providing a cessation service; with language support, male and female workers for cultural and religious sensitivities With all this in mind we then find that …’Where there is demand: There should be provision culturally, linguistically accessible and appropriate’ West, McNeill & Raw, 2004.
Highlights of the report below,
- nProjects are short term: a strategic approach to share good practice
- nFew previously identified projects still existed
- nLittle needs assessment at local level: who should be targeted by special services?
- nRegional advocates
- nUpstream activity
One of the most important aspects of our pojects success is that the recognition we have got from our Primary Care Trust and the ongoing support that we get is one of our reasons for success.
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