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Who Lives in Benton-Franklin
Counties
By Amy Ward - Executive Director
A survey done by the Kennewick School
District reported 17 languages spoken in the District, a result
that spurred on additional interest in the populations that live
in Benton and Franklin Counties. Through information obtained
from a variety of agencies including hospitals, schools, the
Educational Service District 123, Benton-Franklin Health
District and World Relief it was determined a health survey of
two micro populations; Cuban and Burmese, is to be administered.
Partnering together the Health District and Tobacco Free
Benton-Franklin Counties will administer a survey to help
identify any health disparities within these two populations.
Once the disparities are identified, a call to action from the
community to help address and erase any health disparity will be
put forth.
The translation of the survey tool is set
to be completed by the end of June with the administration of the
tool to be completed by the end of summer. An evaluation of the
survey results is scheduled for Fall 2009 with a release of
information by January 2010.
For more information contact Amy Ward at amy@tobacco-free.net.
Addressing Youth and Tobacco
By Melanie Norris - Tobacco
Prevention Coordinator
The youngest legal target age group for
tobacco industry marketing is the 18-24 year old adult. A study
reported by the Journal of American Medical Association stated
that nearly half of all 18-24 year old respondents had used
tobacco products in the past year, and in a separate study done
by Harvard College a high percentage of students attended a bar,
nightclub or campus social event where free cigarettes were
distributed. In an effort to address these growing numbers
Tobacco Free Benton-Franklin Counties plan to launch a pilot
project with our local college campuses to investigate the
concerns of the 18-24 year old adults with regard to tobacco
use, tobacco product marketing and tobacco prevention during the
2009-2010 program year.
In addition, the Youth Advisory Board (YAB)
will also be starting back up this next year to participate in
state media campaigns, local community events, specific policy
issues and awareness in the community, and other outreach
opportunities. YAB will include any interested youth in
Benton and Franklin County.
The annual Youth Summit will be held in
February 2010 and work with SHOUT (students helping others
understand tobacco) students at Richland and Kennewick High will
continue. For more information on any of these upcoming projects
please contact Melanie Norris at
m.mknorris@verizon.net
“No Smoking Within 25 Feet of the
Entrance”
By Amy Ward - Executive
Director
The No Smoking law has now been in effect
since December 2005. The local Health District has the
jurisdiction for enforcing compliance of the law. Tobacco Free
Benton-Franklin Counties will be partnering with Environmental
Health of the Health District to enhance compliance checks and
education of the law to local businesses. Additionally, this
partnership will also work to increase public awareness of the
law and how to report violations. The process of reporting
violations will be upgraded with website opportunities along
with telephone intakes.
Although current compliance in the
Benton-Franklin Counties is good, it is important to continue
public awareness and business education in an effort to provide
a smoke free workplace for all Benton-Franklin County citizens.
For more information contact Amy Ward at amy@tobacco-free.net.
Fighting Big Tobacco
By Corey Wakeley -
Compliance Check Coordinator/Marketing Director
Beginning in 2006 the tobacco noncompliance
rate for Benton-Franklin Counties was at only 5.2% of tobacco
sales to minors, unfortunately this number has steadily climbed
over the past three years to a rate of 15.4% in 2008. In an
effort to combat this increase, Tobacco Free Benton-Franklin
Counties has planned to increase retailer education and the
frequency of checks during the next two years.
The number of checks that will be completed
in Benton County during the next 2 years will be 210 checks with
75 of those being to solely educate retailers about the Youth
Access Law and how to abide by it. For Franklin County the total
number of checks will be 108 with 45 of those being retailer
education.
Additionally Tobacco Free will continue to
work with retailers offering education to their employees during
staff training and distribute monthly press releases with the
results of the compliance checks. Tobacco Free will also educate
the public about the dangers of supplying tobacco to minors
through a variety of venues and continue to work with the State
Department of Health to search for other solutions to the
increased noncompliance rate.
Currently Tobacco Free uses the internet to
provide information about tobacco prevention and control by
hosting a regularly updated website and distributing a
bi-monthly enewsletter filled with local information about
tobacco. During the next two years, Tobacco Free will also be
using the enewsletter and the website to reach a more diverse
population.
With the work plan in place for 2009-2010,
Tobacco Free Benton-Franklin Counties will continue to provide
resources, programs, and partnerships to those living in the
Tri-Cities and surrounding areas in an effort to combat “Big
Tobacco”.
For more information contact Corey Wakeley
at
corey@tobacco-free.net.
For more information
about these trainings, contact:
Tobacco Prevention Resource Center
2500 NE 65th Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98661-6812 |
Tel: (360) 750-7500
Fax: (360) 750-9142
tprc@esd112.org |
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