Feb 2008

Volume 7 Issue 2

February 2008

The American Lung Association of WV will be hosting a facilitator training on their new adult asthma self management program Breathe Well, Live Well on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 in Charleston, WV. The cost for the training is $300 and includes a facilitator workbook and 10 participant workbooks for your first BWLW workshop. Facilitators must have professional training in asthma education and management, possesses good facilitation skills and have access to a population of adults with asthma who would benefit from this asthma education program.

There are 5 scholarships available that will cover the $300 training fee. Training registration and scholarship applications are due by February, 29, 2008. Lunch will be provided for all registered training participants. For more information or for registration and scholarship applications, please contact Jessica Isner at (304) 342-6600 or jisner@lunginfo.org.

Greenbrier County Students Kicking The Habit

Ten 8th grade students at Eastern Greenbrier Middle School kicked their nicotine addiction

through the help of the Not On Tobacco or NOT program.

These 14-year-old boys admit it hasn't been easy but they've all made the commitment to

stop using tobacco.

The NOT program was started by the American Lung Association specifically for West Virginia Youth.

It is voluntary and confidential but these teens wanted to spread their message about the dangers of tobacco, so they agreed to talk with NBC 6.

The students say watching others chew made them want to.

That's why Tyler Honaker started chewing at age 9.

8th grade student Tyler Honaker says "my grandfather, watching him do it."

8th grade student DJ Nelson says "cause all my friends chewed tobacco and sometimes whenever I was with friends they'd smoke, so I'd smoke with them."

The boys say they got their tobacco from older friends and relatives.

But by joining the NOT cessation program they've agreed to kick the habit and get healthy.

Teacher Mark Cline says "we work on different coping mechanisms to get them through the addiction."

8th grade student Adam Rutherford says "talking about it, saying the stuff that would happen to you if you don't quit."

They discusses health issues like cancer of the mouth.

But Rutherford says another reason to quit was cost.

Rutherford says "a week would be $20."

Cline says after about 6 weeks he sees an improvement in the students.

Cline says "yeah some of them seem a little calmer, a little more control, probably a little happier."

But quitting wasn't easy.

Cline says "there's actual physical withdraw."

Nelson says "rushes to want to chew."

Nelson has been clean for 4 months.

He says he couldn't do it without his friends.

Nelson says "Yeah it made it a lot easier to have someone beside you doing the same thing that's going through the same stuff."

The students all encourage other kids their age to quit the habit.
Updated: 2008-02-26 17:10:49

Your Help and Support is Needed!

SPRING AND SUMMER EVENTS 2008

For more information and registration click on the links below

Greenbrier River Bike Trek

May 15-18, 2008

Morgantown Walk for Life & Breath

May 3, 2008

Huntington Asthma Walk

May 10, 2008

Swing for Life and Breath Golf Tournament

June 9, 2008

FALL EVENTS 2008

For more information and registration click on the links below

Surf and Turf Poker Run

August 23, 2008

Charleston Asthma Walk

September 27, 2008

Don’t forget to Purchase your Golf Card Year Round

of the American Lung Association is to prevent lung disease and promote lung health.

If you are interested in volunteering or participating in any of our events, in Charleston please call 342-6600, elsewhere in WV 1-800-LUNG-USA and ask to speak with Deb Qualls

Don’t forget to order your student journals at least one week before your program is scheduled to start.

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 on.

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. Click Here for contact information.

The RTPCC’s are a group of people interested in the health and welfare of those who live, work, eat, and play in their regions. The main focus is tobacco education, and educating the public concerning the harmful effects of smoking and secondhand smoke. If you would be interested in expanding your role and fighting the tobacco epidemic in West Virginia please contact your regional coalition coordinator listed below. They are working to bring smoking/tobacco cessation to their regions. They would welcome your involvement. Click Here for contact information.

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.

New Website “TheScoopOnSmoking” was designed to present in a highly accessible, interactive manner, detailed facts about the health consequences of tobacco use.

Too often teens (and adults) are simply told that using tobacco -- particularly smoking cigarettes -- is "dangerous." Even the government-mandated warning label gives only a few words of caution -- all in very general terms. But the devil is in the details. ACSH's site -- which is based on a teen-version of ACSH's classic publication "Cigarettes: What the Warning Label Doesn't Tell You: The First Comprehensive Guide to the Health Consequences of Smoking" -- gives specific details of tobacco's deleterious impact on every site of the body and every organ system.

This site gives the updated list of present WV state education policies, including WV tobacco policy.

This site has several links for Teens and Kids. It also has important research data and report links. This is also a good site to link up to sources for supplemental information as well as getting information on different CDC publications.

This site is a “kid friendly” information filled site. It would be a good site to bring to the attention of the kids participating in the N-O-T program.

This site is an informative site which has both adult and kid friendly information.

This site contains information as well as posters, pamphlet, and other materials that could be ordered.

This site gives detailed information about nicotine and smoking. Within the narrative, it has links to a glossary, bibliography, and additional information.

This is the parent-teacher association page. It may be a valuable source to get information from other schools and school associations.

This site gives information on tobacco and links as well as other information on other drug related issues.

This site give nutritional and dietary information, e.g., food pyramid, introduction to eating healthy, etc.

The international association of college and university –based peer education programs focuses on substance abuse prevention and other student health and safety issues.