Support

Support for this research was provided by Mississippi Department of Health – Office of Tobacco Control, AAP Julius B. Richmond Center for Excellence for Children, and Mississippi State University’s Social Science Research Center.

The opinions expressed or implied here do not necessarily reflect those of the above organizations.

The Mississippi State Department of Health: The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) directs a wide range of essential health services throughout the state’s 82 counties and nine public health districts. From safe drinking water to cancer prevention programs, their mission is to promote and protect the health of all Mississippians.

The Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence: The mission of the Richmond Center is to improve child health by eliminating children’s exposure to tobacco and secondhand smoke. This is accomplished by changing the clinical practice of pediatrics through the development and dissemination of practice tools; research; and improvement of community health. The Richmond Center is working to create a healthy environment for children, adolescents and families through public education and the promotion of public health policies to eliminate tobacco.

Social Science Research Center: The mission of the Social Science Research Center (SSRC) is to conduct research on social, economic, political, human resource, and social-environmental problems facing the state, nation, and world; to provide a support system for the university to plan, develop, secure funding for, and conduct social research on problems of interest to the scientific community and to consumers of research findings; to provide a mechanism whereby existing social science research capabilities in the university can be matched with funding sources; to contribute to the university’s graduate and undergraduate program by involving students in research projects through assistantships and other work arrangements; and to provide a vehicle for unique social research and public service programs that do not fit more traditional academic structures. The Center also recognizes as part of its mission the importance of combining expertise and capacities of multiple institutions, disciplines and professions in addressing complex problems. The Center seeks to develop perspectives and approaches that lead to effective cooperative investigations.

Mississippi State University: Mississippi State University is a leading public research university that is globally aware and involved, accessible and responsive to the many constituencies it serves, and fully integrated with the intellectual, social, and economic development of the state, while delivering excellent programs of teaching, research, and service.