BSPH Courses
BSPH Credit Courses in Tobacco Control
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is one of the first schools of public health in the U.S. to offer courses dedicated entirely to tobacco control. The school’s offerings in tobacco control include the following credit courses:
The Economics of Tobacco Control (1 credit)
This online course introduces students to the economic tools and analysis used to confront the public health challenges caused by smoking. Reviews the evidence of the health and economic consequences of tobacco use. Emphasizes the rationale for increases in taxes, financial incentives to discontinue tobacco cultivation, and regulatory measures such as bans on smoking in public places and restrictions on access for minors. Provides economic tools and background information for public health specialists, policymakers, the news media, and others interested in using evidence-based policy to prioritize and address public health concerns related to tobacco control.
- JHSPH Course Number: 313.685.81
Global Tobacco Control (3 credits)
Introduces tobacco control strategies, policies, and practices to provide an understanding of what is being done to address this public health problem. Provides a historical context in which to understand the consequences of smoking and tobacco use. Provides a framework to understand how tobacco control has evolved and to understand practical approaches to tobacco prevention, control, cessation, advocacy, surveillance, and evaluation being implemented in the U.S. and in other countries. Discusses the transnational tobacco companies and their role in undermining actions to control tobacco use. Examines international tobacco control issues including the determinants of tobacco addiction, tobacco control strategies, tobacco products such as novel tobacco products (e.g., e-cigarettes), tobacco industry strategies, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), legal foundations for regulation, and basic surveillance and evaluation methods using lectures, case studies, and discussion.
- JHSPH Course Number: 410.640.81
Intro to Qualitative Methods for Tobacco Control (3 credits)
Introduces students to applied research techniques used in tobacco control including direct observational studies, interviewing and focus groups, and analysis of tobacco industry documents. Guides students on the use of qualitative data collection techniques and provides examples of usage of these techniques. Introduces students to the use of the on-line databases and repositories of tobacco industry documents.
- JHSPH Course Number: 410.643.67
Implementation and Evaluation for Tobacco Control (3 credits)
Studies global tobacco control methods in depth. Focuses on designing, implementing, and evaluating tobacco control interventions based on the need of a specific region or country. Highlights the use of multi-level solutions linking policy, communication, prevention, education, regulation, advocacy, and community organizing to address the interdisciplinary problem of tobacco use.
- JHSPH Course Number: 410.641.67
Policy Interventions for Health Behavior Change (3 credits)
Examines the major theoretical frameworks (e.g., policy streams, advocacy coalition framework, punctuated equilibrium theory, ambiguity-conflict model) relevant to the development, enactment, implementation and evaluation of policy interventions that support health behavior change. Explores the roles of ideas, interests, institutions and key actors in the policy process. Discusses how the environment can be influenced to improve the chances of implementing effective interventions to improve the public’s health. Includes case studies from the areas of tobacco control, alcohol, HIV/AIDS, obesity/physical activity, and other health topics to critically explore the strengths and limitations of policy change theories as they relate to current hot topics in the area of health, behavior and society.
- JHSPH Course Number: 410.668.01
Tobacco Regulatory Science (4 credits)
This online course will provide students with an overview of tobacco product regulation, including cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, shisha, and emerging nicotine delivery systems, such as e-cigarettes. Students will gain a working knowledge of tobacco regulatory frameworks, including the Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (Articles 9 and 10), and national policies, including the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Students will learn about past regulatory successes, including fire-safe cigarettes, flavor and menthol bans, and emerging strategies to limit nicotine content. Students will learn to search industry patents to understand how product innovation is protected and presented. Finally, they will study the tobacco industry’s tactics to counter tobacco regulation by critically assessing of media stories.
- JHSPH Course Number: 605.671.86