The American Lung Association’s “Not On Tobacco (N-O-T)” Program has become the first smoking cessation intervention for youth to be designated as a Model Program by the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMSHA).

Developed for the American Lung Association at the West Virginia University Prevention Research Center; the N-O-T program is research and evaluation based. The program has four objectives including helping teens stop smoking, reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke, increase healthy life-styles and improve life management skills.

To earn a SAMHSA model program designation the program must first be rigorously tested and researched in community schools, social service organizations and work places across the country. The program must provide solid proof that it has prevented or reduced substance abuse and other related high risk behaviors and must be reviewed by the SAMHSA National Registry of effective programs.

West Virginia has a highly successful collaborative that has been providing the N-O-T program through out the state for the last five years. The American Lung Association’s Not On Tobacco and Teens Against Tobacco Use (T.A.T.U.) programs, have helped decrease teen smoking from 42 percent in 1999 to 28.5 percent in 2003. This translates to approximately 13,290 fewer teenagers using tobacco in West Virginia today.

“We’re very excited about this new designation” said Tony Richards, West Virginia’s Program Manager for the N-O-T program, “We have known that N-O-T is very effective for years and it’s wonderful to have SAMSHA’s endorsement.

Fundraising Opportunity

The American Lung Association of West Virginia has purchased some adorable miniature plush stuffed bears. Some of you have seen the bears at various events and we have been using them as door prizes, etc. Our Executive Director Sara Crickenberger is making them available to you as a possible fundraising vehicle for your groups. Your cost for the bears will be $4 each: We have five different colors blue, green, orange, purple and red. You may set any price on them you think is fair. Bottom line is that anything you make over $4 is your profit.

Incentives

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.

N-O-T Stipends

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 hand outs for students in this “journal.” Blank pages are provided for the students to write in.

ATS Stipends

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

Free Technical Assistance! Points of contacts are:

N-O-T Program Manager

Tony Richards

American Lung Association of WV

Post Office Box 3980, 415 Dickinson Street

Charleston, West Virginia 25339-3980

tony@alawv.org ; www.alawv.org

(304) 342-6600 or 1-800-LUNG-USA

Regional Tobacco Prevention Specialists

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, call Sarah Cavendish at our office.