Stephanie R. Land, PhD

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The Reduce Smoking and Exposure to Tobacco
Center Forming the Perfect Union to Take On
Tobacco
Stephanie R. Land, PhD Ronald Herberman, MD Heidi
Green, MS, MLIS Steven Shapiro, MD
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History

• The ReSET Center was founded in June, 2007 in
  response to a call from University of Pittsburgh
  tobacco researchers for the formation of a center
  of excellence.
• Initial funding for 3 years is provided by Dean
  Burke of the Graduate School of Public Health and
  the U. Pittsburgh Office of Research.

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Director Stephanie R. Land, PhD Research
Associate Professor Department of
Biostatistics Graduate School of Public
Health University of Pittsburgh
Steering Committee Chair Steven Shapiro,
MD Chair, Department of Medicine, University of
Pittsburgh Steering Committee Co-Chair Ronald
Herberman, MD Founding Director, University of
Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Other Steering
Committee members represent a range of
tobacco-related research at the University, as
well as regional tobacco control officials.
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Mission To reduce tobacco exposure regionally,
nationally and globally through research
and education.
Specific Aims

• To identify gaps in existing knowledge in tobacco
  research. To initiate or commission needed
  research.
• To foster substantial collaboration among experts
  in the University and region.
• To involve students in tobacco control and
  smoking research.
• To inform tobacco control, which will
  include a. generating and evaluating health and
  economic data b. partnering with health service
  providers c. facilitating communication between
  policymakers and researchers d. outreach to the
  business community. 

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ReSET Center Overview

• Supporting research
• Informing policy makers
• Outreach to general public and business community
• Campus smoking norms campaign

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ReSET Center Overview

• Supporting research
• Pilot research program
• Mentoring support
• Discussion seminar series
• Website resources
• Informing policy makers
• Outreach to general public and business community
• Campus smoking norms campaign

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ReSET Center Overview

• Supporting research
• Informing policy makers
• Face-to-face meetings with Sen. Orie, Sen. Costa,
  Rep. Frankel, Department of Health officials,
  State Legislative Office of Research Liaison
• Letters to legislators
• Testimony at State hearings
• Outreach to general public and business community
• Campus smoking norms campaign

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ReSET Center Overview

• Supporting research
• Informing policy makers
• Face-to-face meetings with Sen. Orie, Sen. Costa,
  Rep. Frankel, Department of Health officials,
  State Legislative Office of Research Liaison
• Letters to legislators
• Testimony at State hearings
• Outreach to general public and business community
• Campus smoking norms campaign

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Smokefree Pennsylvania ActLegislative Conference
Committee Hearings, March 2008

• I provided testimony regarding enforcement of
  smoke-free legislation.

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Discussion (March, 2008)

• Education is a key to compliance (e.g. materials
  added to business license renewal notices...).
• Local communities that make stronger laws provide
  local enforcement (not necessary if state law is
  comprehensive).
• Exemptions make compliance and enforcement more
  difficult complex enforcement for agencies,
  paperwork for businesses, ambiguity for smokers.

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Conclusions (March, 2008)

• Enforcement is a coordinated effort of multiple
  agencies, including non-profit and government.
• Enforcement was not a large burden on state
  agencies.
• Exemptions create enforcement problems.
• All people in Commonwealth deserve the same
  protection.

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ReSET Center Overview

• Supporting research
• Informing policy makers
• Outreach to general public and business community
• S. Land appeared on NightTalk (WPXI TV), May 2008
• Letters to the Editor of Post-Gazette
• Smoke-free Southside Celebration
• Campus smoking norms campaign

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ReSET Center Overview

• Supporting research
• Informing policy makers
• Outreach to general public and business community
• S. Land appeared on NightTalk (WPXI TV), May 2008
• Letters to the Editor of Post-Gazette
• Smoke-free Southside Celebration
• Campus smoking norms campaign

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Smoke-Free Southside Celebration
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• Smoke-free Southside Celebration was held at Club
  Café in March, 2008, celebrating venues that went
  smoke-free voluntarily.

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Smoke-Free Southside Celebration
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ReSET Center Overview

• Supporting research
• Informing policy makers
• Outreach to general public and business community
• Campus smoking norms campaign

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CLEAN AIR INITIATIVE
A joint effort of the ReSET Center, UPMC Health
Plan, Office of Health Education and Promotion
Stephanie Land, Rose Gantner, Jaime Sidani
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Clean Air Initiative Chairs

• Stephanie R. Land, PhD
• Director, Reduce Smoking and Exposure to Tobacco
  (ReSET) Center Research Associate Professor,
  Dept. of Biostatistics, GSPH
• Jaime Sidani, MS, PhD (Cand)
• Office of Health Education and Promotion,
  Student Health Service
• Rose Gantner, EdD
• Senior Director, Sales and Product Development,
  Health Promotion Dept., UPMC Health Plan

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Charge

• To reduce the rate of tobacco use among faculty
  and staff of the University, by changing social
  norms and increasing use of evidence-based
  cessation services and products.
• To reduce the rate of tobacco use among students
  of the University, by changing social norms,
  reducing initiation, and increasing use of
  evidence-based cessation services and products.
• To change social norms among all members of the
  campus community regarding tobacco use, by
  raising awareness of the impact on others (e.g.,
  secondhand smoke, cigarette butts).

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Task Force Members

• 17 Task Force members including undergraduate
  graduate students, faculty and staff
• From schools of Public Health, Pharmacy,
  Dentistry, Medicine, as well as Health Sciences
  Library System, Student Affairs, Human Resources,
  and the UPMC Health Plan

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Gathering information
Clean Air Initiative
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Faculty Assembly Survey

• Aim to collect information about faculty
  observations and views regarding smoking on the
  University of Pittsburgh campus(es)
• Survey conducted of 28 members of Faculty
  Assembly
• Results
• Have you noticed smoke-free signs near the
  entrances of buildings on Pitt campus?
• No (7), Some (61), Most/all (32)
• Is cigarette butt litter a problem?
• No (7), A little (32), Moderate (46),
  Significant (11), Severe (6)

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Faculty Assembly Survey

• How much of a problem is secondhand smoke
  exposure on Pitt campus? 
• Not (11), Little (46), Moderate (32),
  Significant/severe (11)
• What should Pitt do to minimize contact with
  secondhand smoke?
• Nothing (4), Isolated smoking areas (71),
  Smoke-free campus grounds (25)

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Butt pick-up November 14

• Butts were collected separately within 15 feet of
  doorways and outside (University policy disallows
  smoking within 15ft).
• Butts will be used for public display.
• We are holding a butt art contest.

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Action
Clean Air Initiative
We will also do follow-up assessments in
April. Some aspects will be evaluated
scientifically.
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Upcoming Events

• School children in costume handing out
  information on campus
• Great American Smoke-Out, November 20-21, tables
  in dormitory lobby and student union

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Conclusion

• A university-based center for excellence can be a
  force for interdisciplinary collaboration and
  public health change.
• The ReSET Center can enrich the research
  environment and ultimately reduce the toll of
  tobacco use in southwestern Pennsylvania and
  across the state.

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Interested?

• Join our facebook page Fresh Kiss.
• Email me at land_at_pitt.edu
• Post a comment on http//pittopinion.blogspot.com/
  .
• Join our listserve for announcements of events
  http//list.pitt.edu/mailman/listinfo/smoking-anno
  unce.
• Submit a pilot research proposal (Restricted to
  U. Pittsburgh faculty/staff/students. Letter of
  intent deadline 12/2)

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Tobacco Research Roundtable Series
The ReSET Tobacco Research Roundtable Series is a
forum for tobacco researchers, experts, and those
interested in tobacco-related work at the
University of Pittsburgh and across the
Pittsburgh region. This is an opportunity for
all with interests in this topic to learn about
new research and become better acquainted with
colleagues working on tobacco-related issues.
Past Roundtable Topics
Hookahs and Marketing Schemes How Teens Take up
Tobacco Today Brian Primack, MD, EdM From
Smoky to Smoke-Free What Research Tells Us About
Changing Campus Norms Stephanie Land,
PhD Variations in Nicotine Dependence Saul
Shiffman, PhD Sex differences in Factors that
Reinforce Cigarette Smoking Ken Perkins, PhD
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Pilot Research Funding Program
1. Hypersensitivity to Tobacco Smoke Mutagens
Among BRCA Carriers Associate Professor of
Environmental and Occupational Health Stephen
Grant, PhD. The team will analyze blood samples
from participants who are known or suspected to
have breast cancer predisposing genes to look for
an association with tobacco smoke exposure and
subsequent cancer development. 2. Dissemination
and Back Again Developing a Research Methodology
from a Evidence-Informed Prenatal Smoking
Cessation Program Associate Professor of
Psychiatry Patricia A. Cluss, PhD. The project
aims to make several improvements to data
administration of the Pittsburgh STOP (Stop
TObacco in Pregnancy) Program. 3. Knowledge,
Attitudes and Expectations of Young Adult Smokers
Towards Smoking Cessation Services in
Pittsburgh Graduate students Chimeremma Nnadi and
Christy Lawson. The project aims to assess young
smokers knowledge of smoking cessation services,
with the goal of improving the services and
increase their use by young adults.
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If you are interested in pursuing research grants
or would like to collaborate on research, please
contact Director, Stephanie Land at
land_at_nsabp.pitt.edu.
If you would like to be added to the ReSET Center
email list, please visit www.publichealth.pitt.edu
/reset and click on the bottom link.
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Save the Date! November 25, 2008 Craig Fryer,
DrPH, MPH Smoking in Black and White
Racial Differences in Nicotine Dependence