Every county in West Virginia will benefit from ten $70,000 grants
awarded by the WV Department of Health and Human Resources to coordinate
tobacco prevention activities across the state. In addition
to youth tobacco prevention activities associated with the WVDHHR’s
RAZE anti-tobacco campaign, the new initiative will help communities
pursue clean indoor air regulations and laws to protect nonsmokers
from second hand smoke. A regional tobacco prevention coordinator
for each of the ten multi-county regions will be hired by October
1, 2003 to facilitate smoking cessation projects in each region.
Five health departments and five non-profit organizations in West
Virginia were grant recipients. The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department
will coordinate activities in Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane,
Wirt and Wood Counties. The grant holder for Kanawha, Jackson,
Putnam, Clay and Boone counties is the CAMC Health Education and Research
Institute.
The new initiative will also promote use of West Virginia’s
toll-free tobacco quit line, 1-877-966-8784. Quit line callers
can receive literature about smoking and quitting, prescription assistance
for nicotine addiction and telephone coaching to help individuals
quit smoking.
The grants also permit communities and organizations to apply for
mini grants from the regional coordinator to fund smoking cessation
classes and events, speakers for programs or schools and other activities
to promote not smoking. The program and regional positions are
expected to remain in effect for at least five years. Applicants
for the coordinator position must be qualified and listed on the WV
Division of Personnel registry as health and human resources specialist.
For more information, contact Julie Blackwood, 304- 388-9968, or
Gary Hamilton at the Mid Ohio Valley Health Department, 304- 485-7374.
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