Title: From the Chair
Author:
Section/SPIG: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
Issue Date:
I am happy to report that again this year, the ATOD Section had an extremely successful showing at the Annual Meeting. Even though the move to Philadelphia did not allow some of our ATOD Section members to attend, APHA and our Section must be congratulated for all the effort that was taken to make the meeting such an overwhelming success. It did seem to me that the horrendous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina would eliminate any possibility of a meeting, and sometimes in the weeks following the disaster it was difficult to think of anything else but the victims and their needs, as well as the incompetence of our government in providing disaster relief and even basic public health requirements. However, it was an amazing feat that APHA was able to first postpone and then relocate a major convention from New Orleans to Philadelphia in a few months' time. Not only did they move the meeting, but everything worked smoothly. APHA leadership and staff work equally hard to keep the sections in the loop. Dr Linda Deguits, the chairperson and ATOD’s representative to the Executive Board, kept all the Section chairs apprised of the changes, while the Association staff worked around the clock to make everything run so smoothly. Fran Atkinson also deserves much credit. She is in charge of Section Affairs and always is helpful and responsive to our Section's requests.
We did lose some sessions, but it was only a small percentage of our overall program. In the end we had about 48 oral sessions and 29 poster sessions: still one of the largest programs offered by any section. Attendance was high, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive concerning the quality and diversity of our program. Again, I need to thank everyone who participated in the review progress, the program planning and organization. We did have one unfortunate poster presentation, and we are still unsure how Phillip Morris was accepted to present their quit smoking program. We are now determining additional review procedures to overcome this unfortunate slip-up.
This year we expanded our Federal Priority Breakfast, which included additional federal agencies. We attracted many more attendees, and a lot of information was shared. And for the first time this year, we held a Meet the Leadership Reception, which attracted over 150 attendees. Everyone had a great time, and we were able to have fun but also talk with new members, as well as old friends.
The Awards ceremony and reception was another outstanding event. We gave two lifetime achievement awards this year, and the acceptance speeches were emotional and uplifting. First, we honored Charyn Sutton, posthumously. We gave Charyn this award as “a testament to Charyn’s good work throughout her life as a staunch tobacco control advocate, as well as for her commitment to eliminate health disparities in minority communities.” Her work on developing the Pathways smoking cessation program for African Americans and her efforts to stop Uptown cigarettes were both important endeavors and only a small part of her legacy. It was wonderful that her family was able to attend and that Rev. Jessie Brown spoke on her behalf.
We were also fortunate that Judy Wilkenfeld, though gravely ill, was able to attend to receive her lifetime achievement award. Judy directs the International Programs at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and is one of the moving forces in the Framework Convention Alliance, a global network of nongovernmental organizations formed to support the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control. She was a special advisor for Tobacco Policy in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of the Commissioner and was assistant director of the Division of Advertising Practices in the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. In both these positions, she formulated and initiated major policies regarding the tobacco industry’s marketing and advertising practices, low tar policy, health warnings for cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, and the assertion of jurisdiction and the regulation of tobacco products by the FDA. We have much to learn from both of these incredible women.
Finally, I wanted to acknowledge the ongoing efforts that Diana Conti, our past chair, continues to do on behalf of ATOD. Diana was just elected the Chair of the Intersectional Council. In this position, she will be part of the Executive Board. This is a major step forward for ATOD, which is now making inroads into the governing structure of APHA. This will help move ATOD issues and concerns into more prominence within the organization.
Fran Stillman
ATOD Chair