Thanks to a new grant, Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department officials hope to address tobacco concerns and develop a first-time media campaign targeting youths and tobacco use.
The agency has received a $32,726 grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kay Kent, county health director, said the money will be used to create a comprehensive tobacco prevention plan for the county. She said the 15-member Community Health Improvement Project decided to form a Tobacco Task Force, made up of volunteers, that will develop the plan.
"I think it's a very important factor for the community because we do need to bring in different groups to discuss this issue in a comprehensive way," she said.
Susan Anderson, CHIP coordinator, said the grant money also will be used to promote clean indoor air policies and part of a media campaign to counter the effects of tobacco industry marketing that targets youth ages 12 to 17.
Lawrence does have a city ordinance that says nonsmoking areas must be designated in restaurants with seating for 30 or more people. However, Anderson said medical research has shown that a smoke-free environment is much better for people's health.
"Second-hand smoke, especially for children, has been shown to aggravate asthma, and for people repeatedly exposed to smoking, it increases the risk for developing certain cancers and heart disease," she said.
For the media campaign, Anderson said she wants to get students involved in deciding what would be an effective message.
To volunteer for the task force, call Anderson at 843-3060. The first meeting will be next month.
"Anyone who is interested is more than welcome," she said. "We're hoping to make it very open and broad-based. It's for the community."
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