TOBACCO COMPLIANCE: Mobilizing for Change: Community Involvement and Tobacco Compliance Rates in Connecticut

Wertz, Holly A. (2003) TOBACCO COMPLIANCE: Mobilizing for Change: Community Involvement and Tobacco Compliance Rates in Connecticut. Masters Thesis, Department of Psychology, Central Connecticut State University.

Abstract

Concern about youth access to tobacco products has prompted a number of communities to initiate actions to limit such access. The present study examines the relationship between the level of community mobilization and local “buy rates” through the use of both survey and archival data. Community mobilization was conceptualized in terms of the prevention infrastructure (Regional Action Councils (RACs) and Local Prevention Councils (LPCs)) within Connecticut. The RACs are a group of 13 regional partnerships within Connecticut whose purpose is to develop, coordinate, and fund prevention services in the field of substance abuse; they do not provide direct services. Membership of the RACs include: elected officials, chiefs of police, superintendents of schools, major business, executives, professionals leaders, legislators, major substance abuse service providers, funders, minority communities, religious organizations, and the representatives of media and consumers. Prevention groups organized within member towns of the RAC are called LPCs. The RACs use the LPCs to support their prevention efforts at the town/local level. In the present study, survey data was collected from directors of Regional Action Councils regarding the activity level of the LPCs within their region. Directors were asked to rate the level of tobacco prevention efforts and the perceived effectiveness of each LPC. In addition, archival data sources were used to create two additional indices of LPC activity. Buy rate was then regressed on activity measures. The hypothesis of this study was that communities with higher levels of mobilization, as reflected by ratings of activity and effectiveness of the LPCs, as well as the indicators constructed from archival data, would have lower buy rates. Results provided limited support for the hypothesis. The regression analysis indicated that communities ranked more effective by the RAC Directors had lower buy rates (p = .078). The only other significant variable was town size (p = .005); larger communities had higher buy rates. Therefore, the hypothesis of this study--that communities with higher levels of mobilization would have lower buy rates--was only moderately supported. Limitations of the current study and suggestions for future research are discussed.