Name of Coalition: Nueces County TPCC
Completed by: Sarah Scott
Part I: Target Area
Nueces County has an estimated population of 352,107. Corpus Christi, with an estimated population of 316,381 is the largest municipality in the region. Outlying communities within our region include Agua Dulce, Bishop, Driscoll, Petronila, Port Aransas, and Robstown.
Table 1: Target Area Population Estimates
County and City Name / Population FY13Nueces County Total / 352,107
Agua Dulce City / 828
Bishop City / 3,180
Corpus Christi City / 316,381
Driscoll City / 757
Petronila City / 115
Port Aransas City / 3,778
Robstown City / 11,688
Source:
http://www.txcip.org/tac/census/profile.php?FIPS=48355
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48355.html
Nueces County is predominately (62 percent) Hispanic with a small African-American community (4.4 percent) relative to Texas as a whole. Although a majority of the population speaks English, Spanish is often the language used in the home, and English skills are limited.[1] Nueces County also experiences greater economic deprivation than the state or nation. In 2012, the most recent year for which data are available, Nueces County residents earned approximately $3K less per capita than the national average. Our area also has a greater percentage of families living in poverty. The percentage of children living in poverty has been significantly higher than the state and nation and has been steadily increasing since at least 1997.[2] During the 2013-2014 school year, 63.4 percent of Corpus Christi ISD students were economically disadvantaged, and 50.5 percent were considered “at-risk.”[3]
Many of the Coalition’s first year initiatives have been concentrated in Corpus Christi. This is, in part, because Corpus Christi has been amenable to Coalition goals, but also because efforts in Corpus Christi are more likely to reach a larger audience. In addition, the Coalition has made efforts to establish working relationships with schools, police departments, and other potential community partners in outlying areas. Some municipalities (e.g., Driscoll, TX) have been eager to work with the Coalition. We are hoping to increase our presence in both Corpus Christi and the other rural areas within our region in the coming years.
Part II: Coalition Structure and Membership
The Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse-Coastal Bend, founded in 1957, is a 501 (c)(3), non-profit corporation serving 12 counties in South Texas. Its mission is to provide a continuum of care for prevention, intervention, and treatment of alcoholism and other drug abuse for individuals, families, and the community. It has a very prestigious, active Board of Directors which serves as highly visible advocates for prevention, intervention and treatment of alcoholism and substance abuse.[4]
The Youth Continuum of Care Coalition was established in 1999 and has a long history of involving community leaders and key stakeholders in working on prevention efforts and environmental change to produce positive outcomes. These stakeholders include youth, parents, businesses, media, schools, youth-based organizations, civic groups, health care providers, state and local government, and other substance abuse resources. This solid core group with well-established members has been active in various Coalition projects and has demonstrated a wealth of knowledge and skill development across multiple sectors. The YCCC has been consistent in its messages to the community while utilizing other resources as needed.[5]
The full time staff of the Nueces County Tobacco Prevention and Control Coalition includes:
Melissa Hofstetter-Program Coordinator
Adriana Williams-Tobacco Specialist
Jacob Martin-Youth Specialist
Michael Cantu-Volunteer Specialist
Amo Vera III-Media Specialist
Evaluation services are provided by Dr. Sarah Scott, Dr. Philip Rhoades, and Jonathan LeCount through the Social Science Research Center at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
The Tobacco Prevention and Control Coalition holds monthly meetings at the First United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi, which provides free meeting space for our activities. Initial meetings were very well attended, and representatives from many of our present and future community partners were present. The first annual Coalition Membership Survey was sent out to all Coalition members in June of 2014. While the response rate was less than ideal, the responses reinforce the initial impression that our membership is very diverse. Women and racial & ethnic minorities are well represented in the coalition. Members represent a variety of agencies and organizations from local government, youth organizations, the health care field, K-12 and higher education, the media, and substance prevention and treatment areas. Many of our members serve on one or more of our standing committees.[6] We have also established numerous community partners within Nueces County.[7]
Table 2: Coalition Membership Survey Summary
Race/Ethnicity / Gender / Vol. or Agency Representative / Community Sector(1) AA/Black
(3) Hispanic/Lat.
(8) White
(1) Native Amer. / (5) Female
(7) Male / (5) Volunteer
(7) Agency/Org Representative / (1) Local Govt
(2) Youth Orgs
(2) Healthcare
(1) Media / (1) Higher Ed
(2) Prevention
(1) Treatment
(1) Other
Source: 2014 Coalition Member Survey
Members have participated in training provided by the state, including the Strategic Prevention Framework and Needs Assessment Training that was provided locally by Texans Standing Tall. When asked what training would be most useful for improving Coalition capacity, the four highest ranked areas were:
1) Developing an evaluation plan
2) Mobilizing the community around tobacco prevention and control
3) Developing a strategic tobacco prevention and control plan
4) Evidence-based youth prevention programs
Table 3: Coalition Partners and Roles
Organization/Individual / MOU? / How Does the Organization/Individual Advance Coalition Goals?Corpus Christi Parks and REC/Stacie Talbert Anaya / Move toward smoke free parks
CCPD Volunteers Program/Tom Brown / Enforcement of tobacco laws
Berta Cavazos/DSHS / Advisory Role
Beautify CC/Chelsea Craig / Yes / Move toward smoke free parks
Communities in Schools/Jennifer Dominguez / Yes / Develop Relationships with CCISD Schools for Youth Component
Rio Grande Valley Prevention Resource Center/Daniel Rodriguez / Move toward smoke free parks
Victor Hernandez/CCISD / Contact for all CCISD Schools
Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District/Noelia Rodriguez / Enforcement of tobacco laws
March of Dimes/Heather Butscher / Yes / Advisory Role
Youth Continuum of Care Coalition/Donine Schwartz / Advisory Role
American Cancer Society / Yes / Advisory Role
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi/Dr. Sarah E. Scott / Advisory Role
Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, Inc./Aaron Villalobos / Advisory Role/ Move toward smoke free parks
Office of State Representative Abel Herrero/Matilda Saenz / Legislative Liaison
Center for Elimination of HHSC Disproportionality and Disparities/Erika Ramos / Enforcement of Tobacco laws
Boys and Girls Club-Robstown/Veronica Blanco / Yes / Community Partner
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi/Jonathan LeCount / Advisory Role
City of Corpus Christi RSVP/Erika Maldonado / Yes / Community Partner
CCISD/Richard Torres / Yes / Contact for CCISD Schools
Lamar Companies/Sam Solis / Yes / Community Partner
COADA-CB/Jan Ayliffe / Partner
DSHS-Family & Community Health Services/Martha Gonzalez / Enforcement of Tobacco Law
ACS/ Melissa DeLaGarza / Enforcement of Tobacco
King High School-Student/Michael Garcia / Youth Volunteer
Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation/Jesikah Gutierrez / Prevention on Tobacco Laws
Source: Coalition Records
Part III: Tobacco Use and Consequences in Target Area
Based on the most recent Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey [BRFSS][8] and U.S. Census data, the overall smoking rate in 2012 for adults in Public Health Region 11, which includes Nueces County, was 14.4 percent. This is lower than the smoking rate for the state of Texas, which was 18.2 percent in 2012. The male smoking rate (19.7 percent) was higher than the female smoking rate (9.4 percent) in this region. The Hispanic smoking rate (12.9 percent) was lower than the white smoking rate (20.6 percent) in this region. We hope to update these figures with the 2013 BRFSS data when they become available.[9]
ADULT TOBACCO USE AND CONSEQUENCES
Table 4: Current Adult Cigarette Use
2014 Smoking Rate / Total Population 18+ years old / Estimated # of Smokers (18+) in 2014*All Adults 18+ / 14.4% / 352,107 / 50,703
Gender
Males / 19.7% / 173,237 / 34,1248
Females / 9.4% / 178,870 / 16,814
Source: BRFSS 2013 [≥100 cigarettes in lifetime and still smoke every day or some days]; US Census
Asthma: According to the 2012 BRFSS data, 4.2 percent of adults in Public Health Region 11 suffer from asthma. This is lower than the state asthma rate (6.8 percent). Men in this region are more likely to have asthma than women (4.5 percent compared to 3.9 percent). Within this region, asthma rates are higher for whites (7.7 percent) than for Hispanics (3.7 percent).
Cancer: According to the 2012 BRFSS data, 3.6 percent of adults in Public Health Region 11 suffer from cancer (other than skin cancer). This is lower than the state non-skin cancer rate (5.2 percent). Women in this region are more likely to have cancer than men (3.9 percent compared to 3.4 percent). Within this region, cancer rates are higher for whites (5.7 percent) than for Hispanics (3.1 percent). According to the Texas Cancer Registry, the cancer rate in Nueces County in 2011 (the most recent year for which data are available) was 381.2/100,000 population. It is estimated that there will be 1,627 new cases of cancer and 591 cancer related deaths in Nueces County in 2014.
Heart Disease: According to the 2012 BRFSS data, 6.9 percent of adults in Public Health Region 11 have been diagnosed with heart disease. This is higher than the state heart disease rate (5.9 percent). Men in this region are more likely to have been diagnosed with heart disease than women (9.4 percent compared to 4.5 percent). Within this region, heart disease rates are higher for whites (9.9 percent) than for Hispanics (6.6 percent).
There are several data gaps worth noting. The BRFSS data regarding adult smoking rates, are collected for Public Health Region 11. While Nueces County is located within this region, the data represent smoking prevalence in a much larger geographical region. Our current efforts do not reach all areas of Region 11, thus making it difficult to measure the effectiveness of our efforts within the Coalition area.
In addition, we are unable to obtain information about the black smoking rate from the BRFSS data. This region of Texas has a smaller black population than many other parts of the state, making reliable estimates of behavior and health consequences in the black community difficult.
YOUTH TOBACCO USE AND CONSEQUENCES
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi participates in the Core Alcohol and Other Drug Survey. This survey collects data from students in higher education about alcohol and drug use as well as other high risk behaviors. The Core Survey was developed at Southern Illinois University and is administered at many colleges and universities nationwide. The Core Institute maintains the largest database on alcohol and other drug use at post-secondary educational institutions, thus allowing for cross-campus comparisons.
While the Core Survey is primarily used to collect data on the prevalence of alcohol and illegal drugs on college campuses, students are also asked about tobacco. The 2014 TAMUCC Core Survey results indicate that TAMUCC students are equally as likely as college students across the nation to have used tobacco in their lifetime. However, TAMUCC students are less likely to report using tobacco within the past year, the past 30 days, or three or more times per week. [10]
Table 5: Self-Reported Substance Use by Students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Lifetime Prevalence / Annual Prevalence / 30 Day Prevalence / 3X/Week or MoreSubstance / TAMUCC / Nat’l / TAMUCC / Nat’l / TAMUCC / Nat’l / TAMUCC / Nat’l
Tobacco / 46.3 / 46.3 / 27.1 / 36.0 / 15.6 / 24.3 / 11.7 / 12.1
Alcohol / 3.1 / 85.1 / 77.4 / 81.8 / 58.7 / 68.8 / 15.0 / 20.7
Marijuana / 82.1 / 43.9 / 20.3 / 31.1 / 9.9 / 17.9 / 4.7 / 7.2
Cocaine / 42.1 / 7.8 / 2.3 / 4.1 / 0.7 / 1.6 / 0.0 / 0.3
Amphetamines / 12.0 / 10.9 / 3.2 / 5.5 / 1.6 / 3.0 / 0.9 / 1.5
Sedatives / 12.0 / 7.2 / 2.1 / 3.7 / 0.5 / 1.8 / 0.2 / 0.5
Hallucinogens / 8.7 / 7.6 / 1.9 / 4.0 / 0.5 / 1.2 / 0.0 / 0.2
Opiates / 8.2 / 2.7 / 0.9 / 1.4 / 0.7 / 0.8 / 0.4 / 0.3
Inhalants / 3.0 / 3.2 / 0.7 / 1.0 / 0.3 / 0.6 / 0.0 / 0.2
Designer drugs / 11.0 / 7.4 / 2.6 / 3.8 / 0.3 / 1.3 / 0.0 / 0.2
Steroids / 1.2 / 1.2 / 0.7 / 0.6 / 0.0 / 0.5 / 0.0 / 0.3
Other drugs / 4.7 / 3.9 / 1.4 / 1.9 / 0.2 / 0.8 / 0.0 / 0.2
Source: 2014 TAMUCC Core Alcohol and Drug Survey.
There are several data gaps worth noting. We do not currently have reliable information on the rate of youth tobacco use in the area. Until this year, Nueces County schools did not participate in the Texas Youth Tobacco Survey. Corpus Christi ISD participated this year, and we will report the results of the survey when they become available. We are also hoping to encourage other ISD’s to participate in future waves of the survey.
We are currently attempting to collect data from the Corpus Christi Police Department regarding citations for underage tobacco possession. We will report these data if/when they become available. At present, the police department is not required to report Class C misdemeanors, thus making data collection more difficult.
While, at present, we have no direct means of measuring youth tobacco use within Nueces County, several tertiary measures suggest that youth in Nueces County are disproportionately involved in delinquent activities. Nueces County youth arrests for both property and violent crimes are consistently higher than state and national averages.[11] Perhaps more telling is that youth in Nueces County are significantly more likely to be arrested for drug or alcohol violations, as well as enter treatment for alcohol or drug use, than are youth state and nation-wide.[12]
Part IV: Community and Coalition Efforts to Reduce Tobacco Use
Counter Marketing: The Coalition has used the resources provided by EnviroMedia to place 23 anti-tobacco billboards around Nueces County. We are also publishing the results of Store Alerts on our website and social media sites.