Clark County Tobacco Prevention and Cessation is your source for tobacco education, cessation services, youth prevention, and tobacco-free policy advocacy.

Cessation Services--Becoming the area's primary resource for quitting smoking

• We teach regular Stop Smoking Successfully! classes at Clark Memorial Hospital
• We had our first ever Through with Chew! class in February 2008.  Although we only had 2 participants, both were successful at quitting the spit and upon one-month follow up were still tobacco free!!  That's a 100% success rate!!
• We offer on-site cessation classes for businesses and community partners. In 2007, we were proud to offer those services to Heartland Payment Systems and Medventure, Inc., as well as the Family Health Center of Clark County.

Community Outreach--Educating our community about the social and financial impact of tobacco use in Indiana, encouraging cessation and smoke-free homes and workplaces

• We generated earned media through multiple media interviews for: The Evening News, The Courier-Journal, Indiana News Channel 9, Fox 41, WFPL, and WABG.
• We have encouraged county residents to write Letters to the Editor regarding the need for smoke-free policies, the targeting of specific gender and cultural groups by Big Tobacco, and the need for FDA regulation of tobacco products.
• We have encouraged residents to contact their elected officials in support of local smoke-free policies, and to support recently proposed legislation allowing FDA regulation of tobacco - act HR1108.  Congressman Baron Hill responded to our letters by supporting the bill.
• We recently held our first Women of Influence event on The Star, Jeffersonville, to educate prominent women in the community on the dangers tobacco holds, particularly for women, as well as the targeting of women by Big Tobacco. It was a huge success!

Clark County Smoke-Free Workplaces Task Force--Assisting cities in efforts to implement and maintain  smoke-free workplaces ordinances

• We provided factual, material, and support resources to former Clarksville Town Councilman Kelly Conn when he proposed a smoke-free workplaces ordinance in December 2008.  Although the Council ultimately rejected the ordinance, voted down 5-2 (with Kelly Conn and Bob Popp in support), many Clarksville residents voiced their support of such a policy and are continuing to work toward change in the town.  There was also overwhelming support from others in the region who work, dine, and recreate in Clarksville for a smoke-free workplaces ordinance. We remain available to lend resources and expertise to help achieve this goal and are working hard to get the word.
• We are always available to assist municipalities as well as individual businesses to transitition to a smoke-free environment. The bottom line is this:  smoke-free workplaces are better for workers, patrons, and YOUR bottom line. If you need more information to support the previous statement, please call us and we will be happy to provide it. 

Tobacco-Free Campus Initiative--Implementing Clark Memorial Hospital's tobacco-free campus policy and assisting other hospitals in their efforts to do the same.

• We continue to actively work with Clark Memorial Hospital to help team members and patients cope with the tobacco-free campus policy, including providing free cessation services for any who are interested in kicking the habit.

Youth and Schools--Providing tobacco prevention and education to area schools and aiding school districts in implementing new tobacco-free campus policies

• This year, we have been delighted to present the Gary Sandifur Tobacco Free Campus Award to both Clarksville Community Schools and West Clark Community Schools in recognition of their adoption of comprehensive policies that are enforced on campus at all schools, at all times - including weekends and holidays.  Greater Clark County Schools received this same award in 2006. At this time all of our public school systems in Clark County are 100% tobacco free!! 
• We are proud sponsors of the IHSAA role model program, and this year we sponsored 4 county students in that program: Andrew Clayton of Silver Creek High School, Jessica Johnson of Clarksville High School, Amanda Embry of Henryville High School, and Chelsea Blalock of Borden High School.  Through this program, these student athletes are recognized for their exceptional skills in sports and in life. All have committed to tobacco free lives.
• We continue to speak with students at our schools as well as youth groups in the community. So far this year, we have made two trips to Charlestown High School for tobacco education, and we spoke to a group of young girls at the Esteem Makeover 2008 at Sellersburg United Methodist Church about the effects of tobacco on girls and women. Our coordinator performed an educational bit on tobacco at a recent VOICE event "Breaking Away Family Night" at the YMCA of Southern Indiana. Wow!  We really have been busy!

Capacity Building--Increasing our knowledge base to better assist individuals to quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke exposure

• Both the Coordinator and Assistant are QuitSmart(TM) cessation method certified.
• We always utilize the CDC Best Practices in Smoking Cessation, and have been certified.
• We continually educate ourselves on the most current scientific data regarding adult and youth tobacco use, addiction, secondhand smoke, and effective tobacco control policies.
  

A Multicultural Approach -- because of a recent additional grant received to better serve minority populations who have thus far been hard to reach, we have more resources than ever to open up the channels of communication and provide the same services for everyone while embracing the cultural changes in our community.

• Upon receipt of our Minority Grant from ITPC in February 2008, compensation was available to provide for a part-time Minority Outreach Lead (Hispanic and Other) and an additional part-time position for a specialist in African American outreach. We are currently in the process of building relationships and looking to develop or enhance exisiting community programs for minority groups in the area of tobacco prevention and cessation.