CLEAN AIR WAVES

          Editor - Corey Wakeley

November 20th                     American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout

Area High School Students Hard at Work Spreading the Anti-Tobacco Message

By Melanie Norris - Tobacco Prevention Coordinator

With fall comes the start of a new school year and a new group of students working hard to share the dangers of tobacco with their peers and community. SHOUT groups (Students Helping Others Understand Tobacco) at Kennewick and Richland High Schools are hard at work planning ways they can share this important message. At Richland High, SHOUT members will be handing out candy with tobacco facts on them this Halloween and are planning a lunch time activity to promote tobacco awareness for American Cancer Society’s Great American Smoke Out in November. Kennewick SHOUT will also plan activities on their campus in celebration of Great American Smoke Out, which include a display of body bags representing the number of number of people who will die because of tobacco related illness in the state of Washington for that week, informational posters will be hung up in the halls of the school and tobacco facts will be handed out to fellow students during the week. SADD groups (Students Against Destructive Decisions) are also promoting Red Ribbon Week with a anti drug, tobacco and alcohol message. Richland’s BADD group (Bombers against Destructive Decisions) are handing out footballs at their home game and holding a lunch time activity to encourage students to be drug, tobacco and alcohol free. Keep your eyes open around campuses and our community for youth involved in the anti drug/anti-tobacco movement!

For more information contact Melanie Norris at Melanie@tobacco-free.net

Quit Tobacco/Save Money

By Corey Wakeley - Marketing Director

With the nation in economic unease, many people are looking for ways to stretch their dollars and save money. The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program of Washington State (TPCP) is helping them to do just that.

In 1999, before the program began, the state of Washington was spending $1,528,000,000 each year to care for those with a tobacco related illness, and an additional $6,780,000 caring for children affected by tobacco. These tax payer dollars were spent caring for the ill, but still did not prevent the death of 8,000 Washingtonians who would lose their lives to tobacco each year.

Since the implementation of the TPCP in the fall of 2000, the state has seen a 21% decrease in the number of adult smokers, the equivalent of over 200,000 fewer smokers in our state. Youth smoking rates have decreased an astounding 50% equaling 65,000 fewer youth smokers. The results of the efforts of the TPCP are estimated to save the state of Washington 1.8 billion dollars in future healthcare cost.

Using the statewide program as an example, smokers can save themselves money by cutting down and quitting smoking.

Cigarette prices have risen to more that $5 a pack for cigarettes. The average smoker who smokes a pack a day is spending a conservative estimate of $150 a month on cigarettes. With more and more families trying to stretch their budgets as far as possible, reducing or quitting smoking can help.

Resources are available, which are free and effective. Think of what an additional $150 a month could bring to the average family in our current economy, just by reducing or eliminating the habit of smoking. Our state is saving tax payer dollars, smokers can follow their lead and do the same.

Free class offered:

• Tri-Cities Cancer Center
• One informational meeting
• 4th Monday of the month from 1:00-2:30pm

To register contact the Cancer Center at (509) 737-3420

For more information contact Corey Wakeley at corey@tobacco-free.net.

Anti-Tobacco Message for Middle School Students

By Melanie Norris - Tobacco Prevention Coordinator

In October, Tobacco Prevention Coordinator Melanie Norris was invited to present information to the 6^th and 7^th grade health classes at Carmichael Middle School. It was an opportunity to share information and facts about the dangers of tobacco with middle school students.. Through a video, class discussion and anti tobacco activities students talked about ways to say no if someone offers them tobacco, learned about the dangerous truth of tobacco and its affects on the body and also how expensive tobacco habits are. “I love the opportunity to go in to classes and provided students with at least one new piece of information about tobacco” says Norris. “With smokers starting at a younger and younger age we know that it is important for students to hear the anti tobacco message as many times as possible and as early as possible”.

For more information contact Melanie Norris at Melanie@tobacco-free. net

Educational Service District 123 Hard at Work

By Rebecca Sutherland, CHES - Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Coordinator, Health Educator

At Educational Service District 123 the Prevention Services Department has the privilege to work with students, administrators, teachers and staff in 23 school districts and partnering agencies in seven counties across southeastern Washington (two of which are Benton & Franklin Counties).  The work we do supports prevention of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs through awareness activities, educational events and cessation or intervention with students in K-12.  As a Prevention Services team, we support many awareness events including; Red Ribbon Week, Kick Butts Day, World No Tobacco Day, Great American Smoke Out and Through With Chew, and any other awareness day or event that entails school wide engagement.  We promote proactive messaging around the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use to make non use a school community norm.  We provide technical assistance and guidance around school policies regarding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.  We also assist schools in registering for the bi-annual state wide Healthy Youth Survey and support coordinator trainings as well as interpretive data trainings.  We support American Lung Association through a program called Teens against Tobacco Use (TATU) and other leadership enhancing programs and activities.  The department also works to engage parents/guardians in their students’ lives through skill building (Strengthening Families) and making healthy life choices.  If you have further questions, you can contact us at RSutherland@esd123.org or (509) 544-5763.

Upcoming Trainings:

For more information about these trainings, contact: