| Course | DPH 820 Public Health Policy and Advocacy |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 8 |
| Paper type | Policy sustainability plan |
| Length | About 1,123 words, 7 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Doctor of Public Health |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for DPH 820 Module 8
After the Vote: Funding and Sustaining a Flavored Tobacco Ordinance
Student Name
Doctor of Public Health Program, Aspen University
DPH 820: Public Health Policy and Advocacy
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
After the Vote: Funding and Sustaining a Flavored Tobacco Ordinance
Campaigns celebrate the vote, but policies succeed or fail in the years after. An ordinance without enforcement, funding or public support can be weakened, ignored or repealed. This paper plans how to fund and sustain a composite city's ordinance ending flavored tobacco sales, which the council adopted six to three, and how to defend it against the threats that follow adoption.
Passing Is Not Sustaining
Scheirer and Dearing (2011) treat sustainability as keeping a program's components and activities in use so that its intended outcomes continue, and they note that it depends on the program itself, the organization delivering it and the wider community environment. For a policy, sustainability means continued enforcement, continued political support and continued evidence that it works.
Funding Enforcement
Enforcement will cost about $180,000 a year for two inspectors, compliance checks with youth decoys under adult supervision and data management. The plan funds it through the city's tobacco retail license fee, raised from $300 to $600 a year for 320 licensed retailers, yielding $192,000. Tying enforcement to license fees protects it from general budget cuts.
Grants and Partnerships
State tobacco prevention grants and a foundation grant will fund evaluation and retailer education for the first three years. Evidence that state tobacco control programs reduce adult smoking in proportion to their funding (Farrelly et al., 2008) supports requests to the state for continued prevention funding that complements local enforcement. Grant reports will double as evidence for the council.
Threats and Responses
The table lists the main threats to the ordinance and the planned response to each.
| Threat | Likely source | Planned response |
|---|---|---|
| State preemption bill | Industry and retail associations | Statewide coalition; testimony; local officials' letters |
| Repeal or amendment | Council members after election | Annual results briefing; constituent contact |
| Weak enforcement | Budget pressure; staff turnover | Fee-based funding; written protocols |
| Illegal sales | Some retailers; online sellers | Compliance checks; penalties; reporting line |
| Loss of public support | Fading attention | Youth-led media; public dashboard |
Evaluation to Show Results
Policies survive when they can show results. The health department will publish an annual report with compliance rates by neighborhood, youth survey trends and retailer outcomes. Evaluation of New York City's restriction combined compliance and youth survey data to show lower youth use (Farley & Johns, 2017), and the city will use a similar design with a comparison to neighboring areas.
Defending Against Preemption
Preemption at the state level is the greatest risk. The plan joins a statewide coalition of cities with similar ordinances, prepares testimony from local officials and parents, and tracks bills from the start of each legislative session. Local officials who supported the ordinance will be asked to speak to their state legislators.
Supporting Retailers
Retailers who comply deserve support. The health department will provide signage, a guide to permitted products and a phone line for questions. Stores with clean compliance records for two years will be recognized publicly. Reducing friction with retailers reduces pressure for repeal.
Community Ownership
The youth advisory board will continue to monitor displays, share results and educate peers. Faith and parent groups will receive annual results to share with their members. Community ownership keeps the ordinance visible and gives council members constituents who notice if it is weakened.
Complementary Measures
A sales restriction works best alongside other measures. The plan supports cessation services for adults who used menthol products, school-based prevention and a request to raise state tobacco taxes. The health impact pyramid (Frieden, 2010) places changes in context at a level of broad reach, with education and counseling adding to them.
Budget Advocacy Calendar
Sustaining funding requires attention to budget cycles. The coalition will meet council budget staff each fall, present results in winter before budget hearings and testify in spring. At the state level, it will engage legislators before sessions begin.
Organizational Capacity
The health department will name a staff lead for the ordinance, write enforcement and data protocols, and train backup staff. Written procedures reduce dependence on one person and help the program survive staff turnover, a common cause of program decline.
Measuring Sustainability
Indicators include enforcement funding secured each year, compliance check completion, the ordinance's status in law, youth use trends and the number of active coalition partners. These will be reviewed annually by the steering group and reported publicly.
Lessons for Practice
The main lesson is to plan sustainability during the campaign, not after. Tying enforcement to fees, building evaluation into the ordinance and keeping community partners engaged are easier to secure at adoption than later.
Why Policies Erode
Policies erode quietly more often than they are repealed loudly. Inspections lapse when an inspector leaves, penalties shrink through informal warnings and public attention moves to new issues. Scheirer and Dearing (2011) note that sustainability depends on organizational routines as well as funding, which is why this plan writes enforcement into protocols and budgets rather than relying on goodwill.
Fair and Equitable Enforcement
Enforcement must not concentrate on stores in some neighborhoods while others go unchecked. Compliance checks will be scheduled randomly across all licensed retailers, results will be reported by neighborhood and penalties will follow a published schedule. Equitable enforcement protects both the ordinance's legitimacy and the retailers who comply.
Online and Cross-Border Sales
Online and cross-border purchases can undercut local rules. The plan asks the state to strengthen age verification for online delivery and supports neighboring towns considering similar ordinances. Evaluation will track whether youth report buying flavored products online or outside the city.
Reporting to the Council
Each year the health department will brief the council on compliance, enforcement costs, license fee revenue and youth survey results. A regular briefing keeps the ordinance on the council's agenda and gives supporters a reason to defend it publicly.
Sustaining the Coalition
Coalitions often dissolve once their goal is met, taking their political strength with them. Butterfoss et al. (1993) found that coalitions endure when members gain ongoing benefits and when leadership is shared. The coalition will keep meeting quarterly, adopt a second priority chosen by members and rotate its chair so that no single organization carries it alone.
Planning for Leadership Change
Council elections, a new health officer or a new mayor can change the ordinance's political support overnight. The plan includes a briefing packet for newly elected officials and new department leaders, prepared within a month of any change, with results, costs and the voices of residents who support the rule.
Conclusion
The flavored tobacco ordinance will last only if it is funded, enforced, evaluated and defended. License fees fund enforcement, grants fund evaluation, a statewide coalition guards against preemption and community ownership keeps the policy visible. With these elements, the ordinance can move from a vote to lasting protection for the city's young people.
References
Butterfoss, F. D., Goodman, R. M., & Wandersman, A. (1993). Community coalitions for prevention and health promotion. Health Education Research, 8(3), 315-330. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/8.3.315
Farley, S. M., & Johns, M. (2017). New York City flavoured tobacco product sales ban evaluation. Tobacco Control, 26(1), 78-84. https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2015-052418
Farrelly, M. C., Pechacek, T. F., Thomas, K. Y., & Nelson, D. (2008). The impact of tobacco control programs on adult smoking. American Journal of Public Health, 98(2), 304-309. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2006.106377
Frieden, T. R. (2010). A framework for public health action: The health impact pyramid. American Journal of Public Health, 100(4), 590-595. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.185652
Scheirer, M. A., & Dearing, J. W. (2011). An agenda for research on the sustainability of public health programs. American Journal of Public Health, 101(11), 2059-2067. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300193
What the DPH 820 Module 8 instructions ask for
Securing funding and sustaining policies and programs is the final theme in Aspen's DPH 820 description, and with the eighth module's instructions reserved for enrolled students, this example plans for the years after a vote. Sustainability papers usually ask how a policy will be funded, enforced, evaluated and defended, and what could make it fail. Define sustainability before planning for it. Tie funding to a dedicated source where possible. List threats in a table with responses. Build evaluation in from the start. Plan for leadership changes and fading attention. Show how the community keeps ownership. Show the fee arithmetic so a reader can check it.
How this DPH 820 Module 8 example is built
The plan separates passing from sustaining and defines sustainability, then funds enforcement through license fees and grants. A three-column table lists threats, their sources and planned responses. Headings on evaluation, preemption, supporting retailers, community ownership, complementary measures, the budget calendar, organizational capacity and sustainability indicators follow. Lessons for practice, why policies erode, fair enforcement, online and cross-border sales, reporting to the council, sustaining the coalition and planning for leadership change round out the body. A margin note gives the reason sustainability is defined first. The threats table drives everything after it, since each later heading answers one of its rows. The fee and grant figures are stated early so the later threats and responses can refer back to them.
Reading the DPH 820 Module 8 grading rubric
Sustainability plans are graded on a clear definition, credible funding, specific threats and responses, evaluation and attention to equity. References in APA style include Scheirer and Dearing on sustainability, Farrelly and colleagues on state program funding, Frieden's pyramid and the New York City evaluation. The fee arithmetic can be checked. The threats table is specific. Random compliance checks address equity. Plans for leadership change and coalition upkeep show the author understands how policies erode, which instructors credit. Complementary measures such as cessation support and state taxes show the ordinance is placed within a wider strategy. A yearly briefing to the council keeps results in front of the people who could weaken the rule.
Common DPH 820 Module 8 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Students often end their advocacy work at the vote, leaving enforcement and funding vague. Others list threats without responses. Show where the money comes from and check the arithmetic. Put threats and responses in a table. Schedule evaluation reports. Plan for new officials and staff turnover. Keep partners engaged after the win. If funding mechanisms are unfamiliar, our tutors can explain license fees, earmarks and grant matching with local examples. End with the indicator that would tell you the policy is slipping. Name who will write the first annual report and when it is due. Ask your finance office how fee revenue is protected in the budget, since the answer determines how secure enforcement really is.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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- DPH 820 Module 6: An Advocacy Plan With Target and Ask
- DPH 820 Module 7: Testimony to a City Council
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DPH 820 Module 8 questions, answered
What does DPH 820 Module 8 usually ask for?
Aspen's DPH 820 covers advocacy to secure funding and sustain regulations, policies and programs, so a sustainability plan is a typical final assignment. Confirm with your classroom prompt.
How can enforcement of a local tobacco rule be funded?
Through tobacco retail license fees, grants and partnerships, ideally tied so that funding is protected from general budget cuts.
What threatens a local ordinance after adoption?
State preemption, repeal or amendment, weak enforcement, illegal sales and fading public support.
Where can I find a free DPH 820 Module 8 sample paper?
The sustainability plan is on this page, with a table of threats to the ordinance and planned responses.
How do you sustain a policy in DPH 820 Module 8?
Fund enforcement through a dedicated source, evaluate and report results, defend against preemption and repeal, support compliance and keep the community and coalition engaged.