UMTRN: The University of Michigan Tobacco Research Network: Smoke-Free Environments Law Project (SFELP)

The Smoke-Free Environments Law Project (SFELP) provides information, consultation and advice for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, local units of government, tobacco control advocates, and communities regarding evidence-based policies and practices to protect Michigan residents from the harmful effects of tobacco. SFELP has operated for over 20 years with the support of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service’s Tobacco Section. In that time, the project has addressed a number of issues, ranging from local smoke-free public health regulations and Michigan’s statewide smoke-free law to smoke-free public housing policies, smoke-free policies for parks and beaches, youth e-cigarette use, tobacco use in vulnerable and marginalized communities, and raising the minimum age of sale of tobacco products to 21.

Team

Clifford Douglas, JD
University of Michigan
Clifford Douglas, JD
University of Michigan: Adjunct Professor, University of Michigan School of Public Health
Role: Director, UMTRN
Profile: sph.umich.edu
Cliff Douglas is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He is a long-time expert on a wide range of tobacco-related policy, regulatory and legal issues, ranging from federal regulation of tobacco products and the challenges and potential benefits of e-cigarettes to the widening disparities in the smoking population. As director of the University of Michigan Tobacco Research Network, he leads the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project, a 20-year-old statewide project that provides information, consultation and advice for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, local units of government, tobacco control advocates, and communities regarding evidence-based policies and practices to protect Michigan residents from the harmful effects of tobacco. He also recently served as the American Cancer Society’s Vice President for Tobacco Control and as the founding Director of ACS’s Center for Tobacco Control from 2015 to 2020.
Karalyn Kiessling, BS, MPH
University of Michigan
Karalyn Kiessling, BS, MPH
University of Michigan: PhD Candidate
Role: Manager, Smoke-Free Environments Law Project (a project of UMTRN)
Profile: sph.umich.edu
Karalyn Kiessling is a researcher and PhD candidate at the University of Michigan. She is pursuing a degree in health services research with a focus on political science. In 2018, she earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan Health Management & Policy program and has been delighted to remain at Michigan for her terminal degree. Kara has become deeply involved with tobacco research as a result of her interest in how health behaviors affect health. She is particularly interested in the use of novel tobacco products in youth across geographic areas and will continue to pursue this research as manager of the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project.
David Mendez, PhD
University of Michigan
David Mendez, PhD
University of Michigan: Associate Professor, Health Management & Policy
Role: Principal Investigator, UMTRN
Profile: sph.umich.edu
Dr. Mendez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on modeling trends of cigarette smoking cessation or switching to e-cigarettes. Dr. Mendez’s research also investigates the financial implications of these trends, with specific focus on tobacco control in the United States.

Resources