RWJF catalyzes progress toward a more equitable commercial tobacco control movement

CCHE conducted a mid-course assessment of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF’S) ten-year commercial tobacco control (CTC) strategy. The strategy aimed to advance equity in the CTC movement by amplifying the work of organizations focused on people most harmed by commercial tobacco: specifically Black Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic and Latino/a/x Americans, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, LGBTQIA+ Americans, people with limited financial resources, and residents of geographic/regional areas disproportionately impacted by commercial tobacco, particularly those in the South and Midwest. CCHE used a mixed methods approach to assess the influence and capacity of these organizations; equity in the CTC movement; changes in the broader messaging employed in CTC advocacy; and policy strategies and successes in the movement in the last five years.

Highlights from assessment findings:

• Providing resources to organizations with strong connections to communities supports them in engaging more deeply with the national CTC movement. The engagement of community-connected organizations has brought greater diversity of perspectives to the movement.
• Increased participation of organizations focused on communities most harmed by commercial tobacco in the national movement has increased the visibility of these organizations and made national partners more aware of their communities’ concerns.
• Community-centered and community-responsive approaches to CTC employed by grassroots organizations have helped to raise the salience of commercial tobacco in some communities; however, it is important to contextualize CTC among these communities more immediate concerns and priorities.
• Racial equity and social justice messaging is helpful in exposing the racist history of commercial tobacco and countering the tobacco industry’s insidious and ongoing targeting of communities through misleading messaging and predatory marketing.
• Although the CTC movement has become more inclusive of diverse voices, small and grassroots organizations remain at a disadvantage in access to funding and ability to direct resources in the CTC movement.

Read the full report to learn more.