ABSTRACT
Policy advocacy is increasingly recognized as a crucial component of the training provided to health educators but relatively few universities offer advocacy training as part of their professional preparation programs for health educators. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) represent a natural setting for creating strong Black leaders in tobacco policy advocacy. This case study focuses on experiential education at an HBCU to develop advocacy skills around tobacco issues among Black college students. The authors describe the structure and content of two tobacco policy courses, their efforts to evaluate these courses, and the lessons they learned planning and conducting them. They believe their experience can prove useful to others developing curricula for teaching policy advocacy skills to health education students.
Subject(s)
Black or African American/education , Health Educators/education , Health Policy , Smoking Prevention , Universities/organization & administration , Humans , Leadership , Organizational Case Studies , Program Evaluation , Social ChangeABSTRACT
Government needs to take an ethical stand on the issue of tobacco control, thereby falling in line with the public administrators, public health advocates, and other public servants who support the passage of excise tax legislation and local ordinances that go beyond state preemption clean indoor air policy. That the excise tax will generate medical and economic benefits is unquestionable. In a similar vein, stronger local smoking bans to reduce levels of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) will undoubtedly carry significant import for healthier work and leisure environments. What remains dubious is the degree to which the public can count on government support of anti-tobacco initiatives. A theory of administrative accountability is a significant part of assessing an issue that has ethical as well as medical and economic ramifications. This paper outlines the historical and current challenges facing public servants as they wager public health for regional economy.
