(a) To prevent tobacco-related diseases and diminish tobacco use, the department shall establish within the department a program on tobacco use and health to reduce tobacco use in California by conducting health education interventions and behavior change programs at the state level, in the community, and other nonschool settings. (b) The department shall conduct statewide surveillance of tobacco-related behaviors, knowledge, and attitudes and evaluate the departmentâs local and state tobacco control programs under this article. At a minimum, these evaluation activities shall utilize scientifically appropriate methods for monitoring the annual progress of the program in reducing the adult smoking prevalence from the 1993 benchmark rate of 20 percent and reducing cigarette consumption from the 1993 per capita benchmark rate of 4.84 packs per quarter. These surveillance and evaluation activities may include, but need not be limited to, the following: (1) Be based on sound evaluation principles and include, to the extent feasible, elements of controlled experimental methods. (2) Monitor the overall statewide effect of health education efforts on smoking and tobacco use, and, to the extent feasible, the resulting effects on health. (3) Monitor the effect of the programs on individual target populations identified by this article or designated by the department as meriting special attention. (4) Provide an evaluation of the comparative effectiveness of individual program designs that shall be used in funding decisions and program modifications. (5) Incorporate other aspects into the evaluation that have been identified by the department in consultation with state and local advisory groups, local lead agencies, and other interested parties. (6) Funds permitting, utilize a sample size that is adequate to produce county, regional, and ethnic specific estimates. (c) The department shall produce or contract for, and update biennially, a description of programs determined to be effective in reducing smoking and tobacco use, and the identification of portions of target populations that need information regarding the hazards of tobacco use. The department, in consultation with the State Department of Education, shall conduct, or contract for an evaluation of the effectiveness of the tobacco use prevention and education program as implemented in the public schools that receive funding for tobacco use prevention education pursuant to Sections 104420, 104425, 104435, and 104445. The purpose of the evaluation shall be to direct the most efficient allocation of resources appropriated under this article to accomplish the maximum prevention and reduction of tobacco use. The comprehensive evaluation shall be designed to measure the extent to which programs funded pursuant to this article promote the goals identified in this article and in Proposition 99 of the November 1988 general election. All information resulting from the evaluation shall be made available to the State Department of Education for purposes of improving its ability to implement and oversee the provision of effective tobacco use prevention education programs. The evaluator shall: (1) Assess the effectiveness of tobacco use prevention education programs designed to prevent and reduce tobacco use among students. In support of this primary goal, the evaluation shall: (A) Report findings on the effectiveness of programs and strategies currently in use in California schools that prevent and reduce tobacco use. (B) Select a research strategy that will identify formal and informal factors that might account for differences in tobacco use by students, including, but not limited to, formal education prevention strategies. (C) Incorporate in the evaluation quantitative as well as qualitative data. The data shall include, but are not limited to: (i) Student data, including attitudes, knowledge, and behavior based upon a statistically valid random sample of school districts and students. (
‹ Prev All California sections Next ›
Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.