TOOLKIT TO ESTABLISH A MUNICIPAL TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAM
Staff/Contractor/Young Adult Buyer Training
MHOA provides free training for Board of Health staff/independent contractors in conducting retail tobacco inspections and compliance checks. Each segment of the training takes approximately 1.5 hours.
A municipal identification should always be carried when conducting in store merchant education, retail tobacco inspections and compliance checks. Consult your Board of Health or lead board (for an MTCP funded collaborative) to determine what identification to carry and how to obtain it.
In addition, inspectors need to be appointed by the board. Consult with the Town Clerk on this process as it varies town by town.
Retail Tobacco Inspections
The Retail Tobacco Inspection Training reviews the various documents and tobacco products that you will be taking note of during a retail tobacco inspection, along with guidance for resolving situations of non-compliance. The established protocol for conducting retail tobacco inspections is included in the link below. This training can be supplemented by a ride-a-long with an MHOA inspector.
Documents regarding MTCP protocol on Retail Tobacco Store Inspections and Compliance Checks can be obtained by contacting Sarah McColgan at smccolgan@mhoa.com.
Data forms to be used for Retail Store Inspections and Compliance Checks can be obtained by contacting Sarah McColgan at smccolgan@mhoa.com.
Compliance Check Training
The compliance check portion of the training reviews local, state and federal laws, safety for the youth and adult inspectors, state protocol for conducting compliance checks and preparation for Board of Health and court hearings.
This training can be supplemented by a ride-along with an MHOA inspector. Municipalities that receive funding through the Department of Public Health/Mass. Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program are not authorized to conduct inspections and compliance checks until they have been trained by MHOA and are required to follow the
approved Compliance Check Protocol, which is included below.
To register for these trainings, consult the MHOA website or contact smccolgan@mhoa.com.
Documents regarding MTCP protocol on Retail Tobacco Store Inspections and Compliance Checks can be obtained by contacting Sarah McColgan at smccolgan@mhoa.com.
Data forms to be used for Retail Store Inspections and Compliance Checks can be obtained by contacting Sarah McColgan at smccolgan@mhoa.com.
Additional Staff Training/Subject Matter Development
Staff training should also include familiarizing yourself with a number of websites and documents, including the current local regulations in your municipality(ies). A list of essential websites is available below.
Introductions
Introduce yourself to your Board(s) of Health by attending one of their regular meetings. Be prepared to discuss current regulations and how they can strengthen them if needed. Be prepared to make recommendations if asked.
Introduce yourself to the Statewide Technical Assistance Providers, who will be prepared to discuss the current regulations in your area and assist you in making the above recommendations. TA providers will also orient you to their roles and how they can assist you.
Young Adult Buyer Training for Compliance Checks
Young adult buyer training is conducted online with an in-person follow-up.
To access the online training, contact Molly Butler, FDA State and Synar Coordinator, Molly.Butler@state.ma.us.. Prior to conducting the compliance check, you should conduct on-the-job training for the Buyer and remind them of key points in the Compliance Check Protocol.
The protocol also includes a section on recruitment. It will also be helpful to you to contact a neighboring counterpart to see what strategies they have used for Buyer recruitment. It is possible that their buyer would also be willing to work in your municipality. The on-the-job training guidance document is available from Sarah McColgan at smccolgan@mhoa.com.
POST
MTCP is currently in a partnership with Counter Tools, out of the University of North Carolina, to provide state-of-the-art software for data
collection, synthesis and reporting. Data from municipalities that are funded through a regional grant with DPH/MTCP are entered in real time.
MHOA is now able to offer this to municipalities that are not part of a regional grant, along with access to the POST (Point of Sale Toolkit) system and training provided by Counter Tools. POST provides data on store visits (inspections and compliance checks) including store mapping, and reports which will assist you in informing your key local stakeholders, tracking sales history of establishments and local demographics. There is general and Massachusetts specific training available to assist you in maximizing the use of POST.
The information provided to you by way of the various reports will be helpful to you and your municipality. Please visit their site, www.countertools.org to learn more about the POST system. For information on POST training and access to the site for your municipality contact smccolgan@mhoa.com.