About Us

SEPA Logo

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Tobacco Control Project (SEPA TCP) is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) and is operated by the Health Promotion Council (HPC), an affiliate of Public Health Management Corporation. We provide tobacco cessation, prevention, and enforcement services in the following counties: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Deleware, Lancaster, Montgomery, and Schuylkill.

History

The Pennsylvania Department of Health must allocate funds from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement to designated primary contractors for the purpose of establishing community-based comprehensive tobacco control programs in compliance with Pennsylvania Act 77 of 2001. SEPA TCP was formed as the PA DOH Tobacco Prevention and Control Program transitioned from a county-based model to a regional model. PA DOH designated the Health Promotion Council (HPC), an organization with nearly 20 years of work providing tobacco control and prevention work at the community and county level, as the primary contractor for the southeast PA region in October 2007. Since then, SEPA TCP service providers in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, and Schuylkill counties have reduced tobacco-related burdens.  

Health Promotion Council Tobacco Control and Prevention Services are committed to:

  • Providing technical assistance/trainings to all subcontractors based on identified needs such as advocacy, community engagement, and clinical integration of tobacco treatment services.
  • Ensuring campaigns, messaging, and health communication efforts are in sync with PA and national efforts.
  • Providing fiscal oversight and management of regional tobacco funds.
  • Engaging in sustainability efforts to support our providers.
  • Provideing comprehensive tobacco control, prevention, and treatment services to all residents of southeastern Pennsylvania.

Key Service Areas:

  • Tobacco cessation treatment and services integration.
  • Community-clinical partnerships.
  • Education and professional training for patients, clients, and health care and social service providers.
  • Research and evaluation.
  • Youth empower, vaping prevention, school policy.
  • Enforcement of tobacco age and ID laws.
  • Second-hand smoke exposure reduction and smoke-free policies.
  • Convening coalitions, and public health innovations collaboratives (ie. mobile app deployment and evaluation).
  • Social media, outreach and engagement, health communications.

We aim to reduce societal and health burdens and health disparities associated with tobacco and nicotine use by:

  • Helping people quit smoking.
  • Providing and integrating tobacco dependence treatment across  health care and beahvioral health care systems.
  • Creating guidelines and best-practices for treatment and environemtanl policies.
  • Reducing and eliminating non-smoker exposure to tobacco smoke pollution.
  • Collaborating with national, state, local agencies to provide training and opportunities for professinal and organizational development
  • Advocating for and enforcing public policies that reduce exposure and access to tobacco products (ie flavor restrictions).
  • Increasing awareness of the health consequences of tobacco and nicotine exposure on the brain and body, in particular for parents, schools, youth and vaping.
  • Ensuring and expanding access to evidence-based treatment and prevention programs for all residents of the Southeast region.

Comprehensive tobacco control and preventions services take expertise and passion. We thank our partners, funders, and team members who make this regional effort possible. 

Feel free to contact us if you are interested in learning more.