Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. In Mississippi, 4,700 adults die each year from smoking, and 192,000 children are exposed to secondhand smoke at home.
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is working to address the impact of tobacco use through the programs of the Office of Tobacco Control. Established by section 41-113-3 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, the MSDH Office of Tobacco Control is charged with developing and implementing a statewide and comprehensive tobacco education, prevention and cessation program.
The mission of the Office of Tobacco Control is to promote and protect the health of all Mississippians by reducing tobacco-related disease and death. The office accomplishes this mission by utilizing a systemic approach to tobacco prevention and control. Program components include:
Each program component is developed and implemented based on evidence-based strategies and the recommendations outlined in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs.
The Office of Tobacco Control implements a range of integrated programmatic activities to encourage and support tobacco-free lifestyles, which include the following:
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Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalitions
Community-based coalitions that work to prevent the initiation of tobacco use among youth, reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, promote tobacco cessation services, and eliminate tobacco-related disparities.
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Targeted Interventions
Community and statewide organizations which focus on specific populations or issues to reduce youth initiation of tobacco use, implement and enforce smoke-free air policy, and eliminate tobacco-related disparities.
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Youth Programs
Youth tobacco prevention programs are implemented statewide to deter the initiation of tobacco use among school-age youth. The Office of Tobacco Control incorporates youth programs into community-based coalitions and organizations throughout the state, and provides youth advocacy and empowerment opportunities for junior high and high school students.
- Reject All Tobacco! (RAT)
The tobacco-free program created especially for children in grades K-6
- Generation Free
The youth empowerment program to promote a tobacco-free life, developed for students in grades 7-12
Tobacco Cessation Interventions
The Office of Tobacco Control offers both healthcare system-based and population-based interventions that provide services to the individual tobacco user, which include the following:
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ACT Center
The ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education and Research provides free face-to-face tobacco treatment to Mississippi residents interested in quitting. Eligible participants receive nicotine replacement therapies and prescription medications. The ACT Center is located in Jackson, MS with several satellite tobacco treatment clinics throughout the state.
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Mississippi Tobacco Quitline: 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
The Mississippi Tobacco Quitline provides free telephone-based tobacco treatment to Mississippi residents interested in quitting. Nicotine replacement therapies are available to eligible participants. The Tobacco Quitline operates Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 8 PM, Friday 8 AM to 7 PM, and Saturday from 9 AM to 5:30 PM.
Health Communication Interventions
The Office of Tobacco Control implements a statewide media campaign to prevent the initiation of tobacco use among youth and to promote tobacco cessation services among all Mississippians who are tobacco users.
Surveillance and Evaluation
The Office of Tobacco Control implements a surveillance and evaluation system to monitor and provide short-term, intermediate and long-term intervention outcomes to influence program and policy direction, ensure accountability and demonstrate effectiveness. The Office of Tobacco Control utilizes the knowledge and skills of public health experts and academic researchers to ensure advanced surveillance and evaluation practices are employed. State-specific tobacco control surveillance and evaluation data can be accessed at www.MSTobaccoData.org.
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Mississippi Tobacco Control Network
The Office of Tobacco Control partners with tobacco prevention and control organizations to ensure a
comprehensive approach. Information and Quality Healthcare, the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi,
the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association
are just a few of the many organizations that comprise the Mississippi Tobacco Control Network.
This network consists of more than forty partners who created and implement the Mississippi
Tobacco Control Five Year Strategic Plan to ensure strategies related to tobacco prevention and
control are a collective effort and that populations with tobacco-related disparities are addressed.
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Smoke-free communities in Mississippi
Reports
Fact Sheets & Brochures
Smoke-Free Policies and Initiatives
More Resources
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MSDH Office of Tobacco Control
805 South Wheatley Blvd., Suite 400
Ridgeland, MS 39157
Office: 601-991-6050 Toll-free: 1-866-724-6115
Fax: 601-956-4981
