Guest Article: Engaging Key Stakeholders in an Ownership-based Change Strategy to Advance Tobacco Control
Today we are pleased to feature a guest article written by one of our friends and colleagues, Stan Martin, of Stan Martin Consulting (SMC).
Read time ~7 min.
Stan Martin is the founder of Stan Martin Consulting LLC (SMC). Stan is also a member of our Team of Consultants, a former client, a longtime friend, and is one of the most natural and gifted community engagers we’ve ever known. Stan’s passion is public health. He works tirelessly in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, and beyond, to advance tobacco control policies, particularly those related to the use of menthol cigarettes which typically marketed directly to Black smokers. In today’s article, Stan will tell you more about his work, why it is important for public health and health equity, and how his work is influenced by Ownership-based Change.
by Stan Martin, MM
It is hard to believe that I have been working in public health for over two decades, with the vast amount of my time focused on the advancement of tobacco control policies and systemic change at every level imaginable. That’s because I can’t stand bullying and/or those (i.e., individuals and organizations) who use a bully pulpit to oppress and exploit marginalized communities who already have some of the greatest needs. In 1998, 52 State Attorney Generals sued “Big Tobacco” to recoup funds from health care costs associated with tobacco use and to prevent the initiation of tobacco use amongst youth. As a result, $206 billion dollars were to be paid by “Big Tobacco” to the states over a period of 25 years, which also included the release of all of Big Tobacco’s documents.
What’s My “Why” for Doing this Work?
To this day, my “Why” for doing this work hasn’t changed. In 2000, I read a quote from a tobacco executive that would change my life. A tobacco executive was asked if they smoked tobacco and their response was “We don’t smoke it, we reserve that right for the young, black, poor and stupid.” As a Black male, I was appalled. I knew family members and friends who I loved dearly who smoked menthol cigarettes. I knew then that I had to fight for what was morally and spiritually right. I took a vow to one day end the scourge of tobacco use for generations to come. In 2023, I founded Stan Martin Consulting, LLC (SMC). My goal is to strengthen marginalized communities by addressing the social and political determinants of health. At the center of our work is the community and Ownership-based Change has enhanced our Community Engagement Strategy immensely.
Engaging Youth: Empowering Future Generations
Youth represent a crucial demographic in tobacco control efforts. Ownership-based Change can involve youth through education campaigns in schools, youth in non-traditional settings, youth-led advocacy groups, and peer-to-peer outreach initiatives. By empowering young people to become advocates for tobacco-free communities, ownership-based approaches can instill lifelong habits and attitudes that prioritize health and well-being. Furthermore, this type of change is transformative and sustainable beyond the lifespan of any grant funded program. We are working closely with several youth serving organizations to do what we cannot do alone.
Community Residents: Cultivating Grassroots Support
Community residents are at the forefront of the fight against tobacco use within their neighborhoods. Ownership-based Change can mobilize community residents through grassroots initiatives, culturally sensitive and linguistic appropriate messaging, neighborhood clean-up campaigns, and community-led policy advocacy efforts. By fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment, these strategies build the self-efficacy of communities. SMC utilizes a strength-based approach that fosters ownership and actualizes the change that the community envisions for itself at every level of the socio-ecological model (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, cultural norms, and policy). This type of approach creates a platform for both those with lived experience and content experts to take control of their health and advocate for a tobacco-free environment in a fun and innovative manner.
Smokers: Supporting Tobacco Cessation and Harm Reduction
Engaging smokers in tobacco control efforts is essential for promoting cessation and harm reduction. SMC is not against those who smoke or use tobacco products, we’re against Big Tobacco targeting youth, black and brown communities, including LGBTQIA+ community with its deadly products which, when used as intended, kills people. If used appropriately, Ownership-based Change can counter the tobacco industry targeted marketing, by engaging those trying to quit in the planning, design, development, and implementation in the development of culturally centered tobacco cessation programming. This is what ownership looks like. Ownership Based Change isn’t about selling the community something, the community already knows what it wants and needs. We just have to get out of the way. This is a key component of SMC, which has created pathways for our priority population, “people of color and other marginalized populations,” to be engaged in the solution. We are beginning to see a change in attitudes amongst those trying to quit smoking because we see them as they wish to be seen. There’s receptivity from smokers to receive support through cessation programs, access to resources for quitting, promotion of lung cancer screening/testing and community-based support networks. SMC has come alongside those who smoke and/or use tobacco to identify alternatives and incentives to offer our priority population for assistance with quitting. These strategies empower smokers to take control of their health and break free from tobacco addiction.
Healthcare Providers: Leveraging Expertise and Influence
Healthcare providers play a pivotal role in tobacco control efforts as trusted sources of information and support. Ownership-based Change can engage healthcare providers through training programs, clinical interventions, and advocacy initiatives. By leveraging their expertise and influence, healthcare providers can promote tobacco cessation, advocate for policy change, and provide critical support to individuals struggling with tobacco addiction. Encouraging smokers to quit, promoting screening and testing at every patient visit supports a change in social norms.
Elected Officials: Driving Policy Change
Elected officials wield significant influence over tobacco control policies at the local, state, and national levels. Ownership-based Change can engage elected officials through advocacy campaigns, policy briefings, and grassroots organizing efforts. By mobilizing constituents and building coalitions, these strategies can drive policy change, strengthen tobacco control regulations, and create healthier communities for all residents. Policy change takes time and change happens at the speed of trust.
Challenges and Opportunities
While engaging key stakeholders in Ownership-based Change presents immense opportunities for tobacco control, it also comes with challenges. Overcoming stigma, resistance to change, and competing interests require thoughtful planning and sustained effort. However, by building partnerships, fostering collaboration, and amplifying the voices of those most affected by tobacco use, these challenges can be overcome.
Conclusion
SMC has utilized Ownership-based Change as a means of offering a holistic approach to tobacco control. It is important to engage a diverse array of stakeholders, including youth, community residents, smokers, healthcare providers, and elected officials. By harnessing the power of these stakeholders, we can drive impactful change, promote tobacco cessation, and create healthier, tobacco-free communities for generations to come. As we continue our efforts in the fight against tobacco use, let us embrace ownership-based strategies as powerful tools for advancing public health and building a brighter, tobacco-free future.
Today is Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a Federal holiday today but it has only been one since 2021. Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865. This was more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. This proclamation freed enslaved people in Confederate States but it was not effectively implemented in states and places under Confederate control. On June 19, 1865, approximately 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. They announced on that date that more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state were free by executive decree. To the newly freed people in Texas, this date became known as “Juneteenth.”
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a hymn associated with Juneteenth. It is also widely known as the Black National Anthem. A stunningly beautiful a cappella version of the hymn is performed by students at the Berklee College of Music. If you can do only one thing today to hold space for the Juneteenth holiday, we hope you will take three minutes to listen to this performance.
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Cogent & concise. Well written Stan!