Community Guide Use
The Sedgwick County Health Department in Kansas used the evidence-based recommendation of smoking bans and restrictions from The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide) to achieve an increase in smoke-free multi-unit dwellings in their community. Click the PDF icon to download the full text of this success story.

 

Implementation
In 2009, Sedgwick County Health Department - Health Promotion staff found that drifting smoke between adjacent residential apartments and the resulting secondhand smoke exposure was a problem in their community. The staff used the evidence-based practice of reducing secondhand smoke exposure with smoking bans and restrictions from The Community Guide to help increase the number of multi-unit dwellings in Sedgwick County with smoke-free policies within their apartments.

 

Outcomes
The program achieved a 300% increase in the number of multi-unit dwellings with smoke-free policies in at least one of their residential buildings. The number of dwellings increased from 3 in December of 2011 to 12 in July of 2012.

 

Model Capacity
The Sedgwick County Health Department provides a good example of how to use collaborative efforts with community partners, and serves as a model to other organizations that would like to work on increasing smoke-free policies in multi-unit housing.

 

Resulting Changes in Practice
The main change from utilizing The Community Guide was that only evidence-based strategies, such as policy development, have been implemented in tobacco prevention and cessation efforts in the Sedgwick County Health Department. Time and resources have been dedicated to areas that are proven to be the most effective and strategies that are not recommended, such as education efforts in schools, have been reduced or eliminated.
 
Partnerships and Collaborations
The American Lung Association - Gulf/Plains Regions was instrumental in obtaining funding for mentoring opportunities with other successful agencies and local health departments, as well as strategic planning for future interventions. Sedgwick County Health Promotion staff also contacted several established members of Tobacco Free Wichita Coalition to join the Smoke-Free Housing Initiative. Other new partnerships created included an apartment property manager and representative from the Apartment Association of Greater Wichita, City of Wichita Fire Department, City of Wichita Public Housing Authority, Kansas National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Regional Prevention Center, life and commercial property insurance agents, a respiratory therapist, and several current and former apartment tenants.