CHER and the TEPP Program
Implemented by the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (LBDHHS), the Tobacco Education and Prevention Program (TEPP) aims to build a healthier community by reducing tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure in the city of Long Beach. TEPP strives to achieve this goal by: 1) providing referrals for people who want to quit smoking, 2) creating culturally appropriate tobacco control materials for the Long Beach community, 3) supporting community-led smoke free campaigns, and 4) ensuring compliance with local, state and federal tobacco-related laws.
As the evaluation team for TEPP, CHER developed an evaluation plan for three of the program’s 6 objectives: Fresh Air Dining, Youth Access, and Smoke-free Multi-unit Housing (MUH). Evaluation activities included:
- Key informant interviews with restaurant owners/managers, MUH owners/managers, and tobacco retailers to examine the barriers and challenges to implementation and enforcement of tobacco control policies
- Observation surveys to examine enforcement of the smoke-free outdoor dining ordinance
- Street intercept surveys and focus groups with Long Beach residents to learn about their experience with secondhand smoke exposure and their support of a smoke-free multi-unit housing (MUH) policy
Data collection activities were performed by trained CHER staff, interns, and volunteers. Evaluation findings will help to inform TEPP activities as it continues working towards a healthier Long Beach.