State tobacco control plans: who falls outside the plans?

To review published state tobacco control plans (STCPs) to determine the extent to which the needs of the states' populations are being addressed.

A qualitative cross-sectional comparison of states' strategic plans for tobacco control as of March 2010.

Online searches.

The 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Internet-based searches were completed using tobacco and other keywords (control, prevention, strategies, comprehensive/strategic plan) to obtain all publicly available STCPs; telephone follow-up was conducted to ensure that all publicly available plans were captured. Each plan was coded by two researchers using a standardized protocol to assess provisions made for addressing disparate populations as defined by the states.

A total of 43 states addressed disparate populations. Thirty-six states addressed these populations within published STCPs, six states had separate stand-alone tobacco disparities plans, and one addressed it within their cancer plan. Specific populations addressed included racial and ethnic minorities, blue-collar employees, pregnant women, children under the age of 18, and college students. There were also several STCPs that cited the general goal of eliminating tobacco use disparities.

More work is needed to address tobacco disparities, including additional planning efforts in some states and effective implementation and evaluation among states with plans. States can look to the experiences of other states to help guide tobacco control planning for their own populations.