Apr 2005

So far this school year we have had 50 N-O-T programs and 42 ATS programs running. We have collected program evaluations for 291 students. 40% of the students participating in N-O-T have quit using tobacco and 22% have reduced their intake. We have provided teachers a total of 448 N-O-T Student Journals and 170 ATS Student Journals. We have held five NOT facilitator training events with 67 participants certified. We have awarded $8,900 in incentive stipends and $1,900 in mini-grants.

May 27, 2005 is the deadline for stipend request. We must have your stipend request by then to process it. Also, the 27th is the last day that you can register crews, register and evaluate commotions on the website for the pages will be turned off on May 28. That means that you will not be able to do anything on the Raze website until the new website it up, which will be announced at State Raze. So, get your stipend requests in and anything on the website completed.

If you know a child with asthma, a parent with emphysema, or a friend with chronic bronchitis, you understand how critical breathing fresh, clean air is.

Sadly all too many Americans live in communities where outdoor air pollution makes it difficult, even dangerous, to breathe.

The American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report , released today, provides Americans like you with detailed information about the air you breathe everyday and explains how dirty air can harm you and your family. You can learn steps to protect yourself and your loved ones.

And if the air in your area isn’t an A , here are two actions you can take to make it better:

1. Send a letter to your Senators today -- demand strict enforcement of the Clean Air Act and oppose the big energy companies who are pushing Congress to change the law to let them get an extra 10 years to avoid reducing pollution.

For more than 100 years we have worked to prevent lung disease and promote lung health so that you and your family can enjoy the highest quality of life possible. We also fund vital research on the causes of and treatment for lung disease.

You can help make cleaner air a reality – not only for your own health, but the health of your children, and your entire community. Take action today .

2005 World Asthma Day

On World Asthma Day, the West Virginia Asthma Coalition (WVAC) aims to increase awareness of asthma and its impact on the lives of nearly 175,000 people in the state.

WVAC is hosting a World Asthma Day event at Cedar Lakes in Ripley on Tuesday, May 3 from 11am-3pm. Asthma programs from around the state are participating and providing free educational information, including lung capacity testing. The event is free and open to the public. Lunch will also be provided.

WVAC is a diverse group of organizations and individuals committed to reducing the growing burden of asthma in West Virginia. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Asthma Education and Prevention Program created the Coalition in conjunction with the American Lung Association of West Virginia. The Coalition is funded through a three-year grant awarded from the Centers for Disease Control.

I would like to congratulate all facilitators that have provided N-O-T & ATS programs in their schools this school year.

Not On Tobacco Programs
Location	Point of Contact

Mt. Hope High School	Heather Maynard
North Marion High School	Alan Henderson
Ripley Middle School	Amy Haskins
Oak Hill High School	Barbara Breeden
Parkersburg High School	Beth Knap
Fayetteville High School	Beverly Hall
Webster County High School	Carrie Mullens
North Marion High School	Cheryl Conaway
Pt. Pleasant	Chip Wood
Greenbrier East High School	Chris Hall
McDonell RHAP	Dana Cook
Mon-Choice Alternative School	Deborah Felton
Wellsburg Middle School	Ed Wohnhas
Jefferson High School 9th	Gloria Twyman
Bridge Street Middle School	Gretchen Gill
Mt. Hope High School	Heather Maynard
Pendleton County High School	Holly See
Belington Middle School	Jackie Simmons
Tolsia High School	Jamie Lahoda
Wellsburg Middle School	Jeanne Ferrell
Fayetteville High School	John Mark Kincaid
Wayne Middle School	Judy Rakes
Wyoming East High Scholl	Karen Green
Gauley Bridge High School	Kelly Hogan
Ripley High School	Kelly Spencer Adcock
Scott High School	Kevin Graley
Jefferson High School	Linda Lawson
Ripley Middle School	Lisa Moles
East Bank Middle School	Lynn Wise
Clay Middle School	Mary Grandon
Nicholas County Vo-Tech	Melissa Woods
Oak Hill High School	Michelle Wolfe
Musselman High School	Nancy Linton
Wheeling Park High School	Pattie Hershey
Tug Valley High School	Pedro Ledger
Edison Jr. High	Sandy Harris
Wayne High School	Stephanie May
Lewis County Alternative Cener	Tracy Thorne
Cabell Midland High School	Victoria Carovillano

Alternative to Suspension Programs
Location	Point of Contact

Braxton Middle School	Mary Talbott
Elkins Mountain School	Alan McKrosky
Oak Hill High School	Barbara Breeden
Parkersburg High School	Beth Knapp
Hampshire County High School	Bill Orndorff
Sherman Junior High	Caroline Hatfield
Liberty High School	Charles Kuhn
Dunbar Middle School	Cheryl Conoway
South Charleston High School	Cil Payne
Montgomery Middle School	Dale Fox
Nitro High School	Denise Ohlsen Koster
New Martinsville	Donna Sands
Wetzel County	Donna Sands
Mount Hope High School	Heather Maynard
Ripley High School	Kelley Spencer Adcock
Scott High School	Kevin Graley
John Marshall High School	Linda Fisher
East Bank Middle School	Lynn Wise
Oak Hill High School	Marian Richardson
Nicholas County High School	Martha F. Davis
Morgantown High School	Maxine Arobgast
Summers County High School	Mike Allen
Buchannon-Upsher High School	Nancy Bradshaw
Sherman High School	Selia Anderson
Midland Trail High School	Susan Donnette Terry
Madison Middle School	Terry Clay
South Charleston Middle School	Thekla Lund
Valley High School	Vicki Scott

Don’t forget to order your student journals at least one week before your program is scheduled to start. You can place your journal order online at the same time you request your $50 mini-grant!

Another way of getting incentives is community donations. Explain to local businesses that you are trying to help teens stop smoking, and you will get anything from pizza to sodas donated. This is an excellent way of forming education/community partnerships.

The West Virginia Department of Education’s continued support of the N-O-T program is allowing us to once again provide the $250 stipend for N-O-T classes and $100 stipends for ATS classes. Please remember that stipends are only awarded after all evaluation materials have been returned, unlike the $50 mini-grants that are provided before you begin your sessions.

Mini-Grants

$50 mini-grants are available to get your groups started. The mini-grant can be used to purchase pencils, stress balls and most importantly, food! We have heard many times, “If you feed them, they will come!” Applying for the mini-grant is easy click HERE.

Another positive incentive are the $250 stipends, which are available for facilitators after all evaluation materials have been returned to ALAWV.

Student Journals

Program expenses are kept to a minimum since we provide all required handouts for students in this “journal.” Blank pages are provided for the students to write in.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Department of Education Office Of Healthy schools we now have $100 stipends available for facilitators who use the ATS program in their schools.

You can find all these resources and more at our web site click here à N-O-T

The RESA Tobacco Prevention Program serves as the regional liaison with the school districts to provide training, technical assistance, and staff development to teachers and staff in the areas of tobacco prevention, education and cessation. Available programs include Life Skills Training, Raze/TATU (Teens Against Tobacco) N-O-T (Not On Tobacco-a research-based cessation program for teens), related youth programs which include tobacco prevention initiatives, tobacco policy considerations and community tobacco prevention coalitions and groups. The Tobacco Prevention Specialist can assist with developing alternatives to suspension programs, youth empowerment and prevention activities. The primary focus is to provide training and technical assistance on any implementation activities as well as provide assistance to County Safe and Drug Free Schools Coordinators.

Community Development Specialists are trained professionals who work locally in their communities to enhance West Virginia’s prevention system. They provide individuals, families, agencies, organizations, and other groups with technical assistance and training to build capacity for sustainable community-based prevention efforts. To find your Community Development Specialist click here.

If you know of something happening with the N-O-T program that you feel other facilitators would benefit from, please call Tony (304)342-6600 or email tony@alawv.org. The newsletter will be published once a month.

If you are interested in our programs and would like more information, or would like to schedule a visit, please call our office.