Vista Clinic (Advancing Community Change Together (ACcT))

Vista Community Clinic (VCC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves

low-income, predominantly Latinx residents in Vista and Oceanside (San Diego County),

Lake Elsinore (Riverside County) and La Habra (Orange County). In its 5-year Advancing

Momentum project, VCC will implement three objectives aimed at: (1) reducing public

exposure to secondhand smoke in multi-unit housing settings, (2) directing

tobacco-addicted teens to evidence-based cessation services, and (3) limiting the location

and density of tobacco retailers through a tobacco retail license or zoning regulations. The

California Smokers’ Helpline materials and services will be heavily integrated into the

project. Strategies to accomplish these goals include educating school administrators,

teachers, parents, and teens about the dangers of vaping and nicotine addiction,

mobilizing community and resident advocates, and educating community leaders, policy

makers, and the public on policy options for reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and

reducing the density of tobacco retailers in the community.