To achieve the local public health outcomes the BTI Partnership is focused on, that is, to decrease tobacco consumption, reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and prevent initiation among youth, policy change and coalition sustainability become essential and necessary. The following excerpts from the “Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs User Guide: Coalitions” provide additional insight.
“A coalition brings together individuals and organizations with diverse skills and expertise to address a specific issue. Tobacco control coalitions form to reduce the burden of tobacco use and shape tobacco-free norms so that tobacco becomes less desirable, acceptable and accessible.” {1}
“Any social norm change strategy that uses advocacy and policy change at the local level has the best chance of breaking the chain of disease caused by tobacco.” {1}