Building on local momentum, Chicago convened a local summit on September 25, 2007, titled Chicago Second Wind Summit: A Chicagoland Smoking Cessation Initiative .  Under the leadership of Carol Southard (who also leads the SCLC ADHA partnership), Stacy Ignoffo from the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC), and Donna Scrutchins from Chicago Department of Public Health , 45 local tobacco advocates convened at RHAMC headquarters and set the following goals and strategies:

Primary Measure

• Reduce 19.1% adult smoking prevalence to 14% by year 2010. 
• Reduce 21.7% teen smoking prevalence to 16% by year 2010.
• Increase quit attempts from 60% to 80% by year 2010.

Secondary Measure

• Double call utilization of quitlines (currently at 0.50%) each year for next three years.

Beginning strategies were developed in the following areas:

•   Targeted public cessation awareness campaign
•   Recruiting community organizations to be smoking cessation resources
•   Smoking cessation intervention education for health care providers
•   Fundraising for smoking cessation strategies
•   Policy issues related to smoking cessation

Committees have already begun to arrange follow-up calls as a way of moving forward on the strategies they have identified.  This event is timed to pave the way as Illinois becomes officially smoke - free on January 1, 2008. 

If you would like more information or would like to be involved in the Chicagoland Smoking Cessation Initiative, contact Reason Reyes at reason.reyes@ucsf.edu or Carol Southard at csouthar@nmh.org .