Combining Tobacco Cessation and Radon Testing: A Multiagency Collaboration to Promote The Health Of Montanans LAURA S. LARSSON MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Problem  Exposure to indoor radon and tobacco smoke have a synergistic effect meaning that the combined risk for lung cancer is more than additive

Radon Level If 1,000 people who smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime*... If 1,000 people who never smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime*... WHAT TO DO: Stop smoking and pCi/L About 260 people could get lung cancer About 36 people could get lung cancer Fix your home 8 pCi/L About 120 people could get lung cancer About 15 people could get lung cancer Fix your home 4 pCi/L About 62 people could get lung cancer About 7 people could get lung cancer Fix your home Radon Risk if You Smoke from "A Citizen's Guide to Radon: The Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family From Radon"A Citizen's Guide to Radon

Method-Step 1—Make Friends  Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program (MTUPP)  Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)  Montana Cancer Coalition  Gallatin and Ravalli County Tobacco Prevention Specialists  Gallatin and Ravalli County Health Officers

Method-Step 2—Pilot Test  A one-page radon background and risk document was included in the orientation packets for “Quit Line” enrollees attempting to quit smoking cigarettes  Free radon kits by mail  Timeline: January 1, May 15, 2014  600 invitations for a free radon test kit sent

Results  14 (2.3%) accepted the invitation  2 (14.3%) completed the test kit they requested  Neither had actionable indoor radon levels

Discussion  Strong potential—600 initiations in 5 months  Mailing is the wrong approach  Future work is to get on the script  January is Radon Awareness Month  Would follow-up coaching increase test-kit completion?  Or are individuals attempting to quit smoking too overwhelmed or preoccupied to test?

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