Hellen Dekle, M.Ed. is the Secondhand Smoke Prevention Policy Coordinator for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control. She left the academic setting to enter the public health field twelve years ago and has worked in both tobacco prevention and cardiovascular health programming. Her responsibilities include coordinating the adoption of model 100% tobacco-free policies in various settings. These include public and private worksites, restaurants, healthcare facilities and ordinance adoption by local governments and municipalities. In addition, Hellen is the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant consultant for the Division, monitoring the tobacco-related best practice efforts of the local Health Regions.