Tobacco Documents Online

: :r..,..Gf. ~..,.r...~. Allegan iorna Kent Lake Mason Mecosta Montcaim Muskegon Newaygo Oceana Osceoia Ottawa , I I CC ~ Leslie V. Spriggs. 0.0.. President Donald 8. Birtwistle. Pirst Vice President Bemaoine J. Hednck. Second Vice Presfcent Jessie F. Dalman, Secretary William J. Downer. Jr.. rreasurer Philip E. VanMeest, E.cecutive Oirector VJ 0 -214- West Michigan Health Systems Agency /s,/, /./. -/ u~ii'6 "w..Gw./ - i~..+.~..~.. l.rY.. ~..d.! 300 Peoples Building, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503 • 616-459-1323 October 16, 1980 Mr. Sunny Fong Office of Health Education Michigan Department of Public Health 3500 N. Logan P.O. Box 30035 - Lansing, Michigan 48909 Dear Mr. Fong: 115111111111111 This is in response to the invitation of Ben D. Barker in his letter of September 26, 1980, to submit testimony to the Citizen's Panel on Smoking and Health. The Health S stems Plan for West Central Michigan emphasizes the signl i.cant impact smoking has on heart disease, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases in particular. The Plan calls for more attention to preventive-efforts to reduce smoking and other un- healthful behavior: health education in the schools, community, and both primary and specialized health care settings; health pro- motion programs in places of employment; and a stronger primary care system that emphasizes prevention. We believe there are two key problems with many educational and other prevention efforts: 1) there is too little evaluation to lead us to the most effective approaches; 2) the efforts are vitiated by not being coordinated with reinforcing programs, and they are often abandoned or replaced after only a short trial. The WMHSA has developed a Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Project Plan (Study No. 80-5) which sets zort t e design or a pi ot pro- ject for three communities with an areawide component. It would coordinate the range of prevention activities from general educa- tion through rehabilitation; it would continue this community-wide OFFICERS: I ~ I 1 I I di I I I L

I t Mr. Sunny Fong October 16, 1980 Page Two effort over a long period; and it would include a significant evaluation component. It is built on research which has already validated the approach, but it applies to a larger area. It spe- cifically identifies smoking as one of the relevant life-style- related risk factors in heart disease. While it focuses on heart disease, the approach has-much broader applicability. We would recommend this kind of approach to the Panel: coordinated, long-term programs, subject to evaluation of both the short and long-range impacts. work of the panel, please feel free to call upon us. We appreciate the opportunity to comment. If we can support the Sincerely, Director of Planning Thomas H. Logan TFiL/hb cc: Ann Curtis Donald Wideman Attachment