Addressing tobacco use in homeless populations: recommendations of an expert panel

A diverse group of panelists met for one day on October 21, 2009, in Washington, DC, for the purpose of addressing the high tobacco use prevalence rates in homeless populations; identifying appropriate policy, cessation practices and models for implementation in this population; and providing targeted recommendations for researchers, homeless service providers, tobacco control advocates, and policy makers. The panel was convened by Break Free Alliance, one of six national networks funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and Health. The panelists worked through a process of problem identification, generation of responses, analysis and prioritization, development of recommendations, and arrival of final decisions reached by consensus. The resulting recommendations for addressing tobacco use in homeless populations focused on tobacco non-use policy implementation, cessation programming, and expansion of partnerships and collaborations between tobacco control advocates and social service providers. The panel also identified unanswered research questions that can serve to develop a framework for future initiatives to reduce tobacco use among homeless persons. The expert panel model serves as one approach for engaging nontraditional partners and building consensus among leaders from a variety of sectors to address tobacco use in special populations.