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Policies that shield people from the harm of tobacco exposure are essential to protect the health of the population. Coalitions have often led the way in safeguarding community health by promoting social norm change though policy adoption. In some states, tobacco control laws are weak, in part because of a tobacco industry tactic of prohibiting or pre-empting communities from enacting ordinances that are more protective. In spite of strong state-level preemptions, local coalitions in Oklahoma have implemented hundreds of voluntary policies in tobacco control that have improved the protection and health of their communities while not violating preemption. Three case studies of policy change are presented that exemplify the key approach of local coalitions working with strong allies and informed decision makers to establish tobacco-free businesses, schools, and outdoor recreational areas. In each of the cases, the policy changes surpassed the protection provided by the state laws and inspired additional policy changes. The key strategies and lessons learned may help tobacco control coalitions in other states limited by preemption to garner more support and momentum for important policy changes within their communities and states., (Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Research in tobacco control demonstrating best practices is widely disseminated; however, application at the local level is often difficult. Translating research into practice requires a concerted effort to develop an understanding of the evidence and how it can be applied within diverse contexts., Purpose: A strategic planning infrastructure was developed to support the translation of evidence-based interventions into community practice. This paper highlights the strategic process of turning "know-what" into "know-how" to facilitate the strategic planning and implementation of tobacco control best practices at the local level., Design: The purpose, people, process, and product strategies of knowledge management and translation provided a framework for the strategic planning infrastructure. The knowledge translation concepts of audience, motivations, and mechanisms were synergized in the neo-strategic planning component design., Setting/participants: The participants were 20 community coalitions funded to implement local tobacco control programs., Intervention: From 2004 to 2011, the strategic planners facilitated a cyclical process to translate research into practice using a trio of integrated tools, skill-building workshops on strategic planning, and grantee-driven technical assistance and consultation., Main Outcome Measures: In the short term, the usefulness of the strategic planning components to the programs was measured. The intermediate outcome was the successful movement of the community programs from the planning stage to the implementation stage. The achievement of community-level changes in planned tobacco control efforts was the overall outcome measure for the success of the local coalitions., Results: Seventeen of 20 communities that began the planning process implemented strategic plans. All 17 of the programs implemented evidence-based practices, resulting in numerous tobacco-free policies, increased cessation, and increased support from the media and community., Conclusions: Bridging the gap between research and practice can enhance the practicality, efficiency, and effectiveness of tobacco control programs at the local level, maximizing the potential positive health impact., (Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Context: Seventy percent of U.S. residential fire deaths occur in homes without a working smoke detector. To help prevent residential fire deaths, many programs have distributed or installed detectors in unprotected homes. Because persons receiving a detector may not install it and because detector batteries require annual replacement, the enduring effectiveness of these programs may be questioned., Objective: We evaluated the long-term functional status of smoke detectors distributed to high-risk households in eight areas of Minnesota, Cherokee County (North Carolina), and Oklahoma City (Oklahoma)., Design: Cross-sectional., Setting: Home visits were made to check the detectors that were distributed 3 to 4 years earlier., Participants: Randomly selected households from the three detector promotion programs. MAIN OUT-COME MEASURE: At least one working smoke detector., Results: Participation rates ranged from 72% to 82%. The percentage of evaluation households with at least one working detector ranged from 58% in Oklahoma to 73% in North Carolina. In 76% of households with nonworking detectors, the batteries were either missing or disconnected. When batteries in nonworking detectors were replaced, 83% of the detectors regained function., Conclusions: Future programs should consider distributing detectors that do not require annual battery changes or find effective ways to ensure that batteries are routinely replaced. Programs should also provide each household with the number of detectors needed to meet the most current recommended standard of the National Fire Protection Agency. The evaluation's participation rates support the practicality of unannounced home visits to evaluate home injury prevention programs in high-risk groups.