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New Tool To Combat Tobacco Use Problems in Gay Community
5/5/2005
American Legacy Foundation® Funds Program to Educate and Provide Resources
New Tool To Combat Tobacco Use Problems in Gay Community
American Legacy Foundation® Funds Program to Educate and Provide Resources
5/5/2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community now has a new tool in the fight against tobacco use. Baltimore-based Persephone Productions has produced and aired a program addressing tobacco control issues pertaining to the LGBT community. A video of the program, called LGBT Community and Smoking, is now available for community groups to educate people about the disproportionate toll tobacco takes on the LGBT community. Groups or organizations interested in using the video as part of their outreach efforts can visit To The Contrary’s Web site, www.pbs.org/ttc to purchase a tape.
In October of 2001, the American Legacy Foundation provided a $396,000 grant to Persephone Productions for the creation of a series of priority population videos, including LGBT Community and Smoking. The program was part of a series that aired on PBS’ To The Contrary over the past three years – reaching nearly one million viewers across the country.
Within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, tobacco use is a major health issue. According to the American Legacy Foundation, research indicates that up to half of LGBT adults smoke,(1) and smoking rates among LGBT youth are estimated to be considerably higher (38 percent to 59 percent) than for all adolescents (28 percent to 35 percent).(2)
“To The Contrary successfully raised awareness of this health crisis,” said Dr. Barbara Warren, director of organizational development, planning and research for New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. “This program brought national visibility to the critical need for LGBT-sensitive and inclusive tobacco prevention and cessation information. We need to continue to work together to ensure that LGBT persons across the country have access to affordable and affirmative tobacco-related services.”
Since the American Legacy Foundation grant was given, Persephone Productions has produced two separate programs each year designed to reach a different racial or ethnic community each program has an accompanying VHS video for community use. The pilot year focused on the African-American and American Indian and Alaska Native communities; the second year focused on the Hispanic/Latino and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender communities; and the third year focused on the Asian American/Pacific Islander and Low Socio-Economic Status communities. Each program featured prominent expert spokespeople who were influential in each of the specific population groups. Highlights from the African-American, Hispanic/Latino and Native American programs can be found at www.pbs.org/ttc
“Persephone Productions made a priority of telling the stories about tobacco use and prevention in each of these communities,” said Persephone president, Cari Stein. “The information provided in the series can serve as a teaching tool for community groups hoping to reach very specific populations.”
These programs allowed the foundation to communicate tobacco prevention messages to diverse populations through culturally appropriate programs. Each program aired on 240 stations nationwide and was viewed by more than 100,000 people. The foundation continues to receive requests for copies of the videos from numerous health departments, health educators, smoke-free coalitions, national leadership groups, high schools, colleges and universities, nurses associations, call centers for smoking cessation, medical centers, media outlets, social workers, churches, grantees and community leaders across the country. In addition, 600 outreach kits were distributed by Persephone Productions to small and large groups, including doctors, nurses and social workers.
“The American Legacy Foundation recognized the power of Persephone Productions and To the Contrary’s ability to communicate important issues,” said foundation President and CEO Cheryl Healton, Dr. PH. “We hope to make information about tobacco available to as many people as possible and we’re excited about the potential these videos have as they are distributed in communities across the country.”
In 2003, the American Legacy Foundation received what is likely its final payment from the National Public Education Fund established by the Master Settlement Agreement, meaning a sharp decline in the foundation’s funding resources. Without funding from the American Legacy Foundation, successful community-based grant initiatives like Persephone Productions, which work on tobacco prevention and cessation at the grassroots level, will be in jeopardy. Many of these initiatives service underserved communities: low-income Americans, the less educated, and members of racial and ethnic minority groups. The foundation’s financial situation not only impacts grantmaking, but also signature programs such as the highly successful truth® youth smoking prevention campaign, which has been cited as an important factor in recent declines in youth smoking rates.
The American Legacy Foundation® is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the foundation develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use through grants, technical assistance and training, youth activism, strategic partnerships, counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns, public relations, and outreach to populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco. The foundation’s national programs include Circle of Friends®, Great Start®, a Priority Populations Initiative, Streetheory® and truth®. The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five US territories, and the tobacco industry. Visit www.americanlegacy.org.
(1) Ryan H, Wortley P, Easton A, Pederson L, Greenwood G. Smoking among lesbians, gays, and bisexuals: a review of the literature. A J Prev Med. 2001; 21(2) 142-149.
(2) Ryan H, Wortley P, Easton A, Pederson L, Greenwood G. Smoking among lesbians, gays, and bisexuals: a review of the literature. A J Prev Med. 2001; 21(2) 142-149.
Contact Information:
Becky Steinmark (202) 454-5561 Laura Morrill, GYMR (202) 745-5100