The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department will facilitate two one-hour listening sessions next week to get public input on a statewide tobacco-control plan.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department will facilitate two one-hour listening sessions next week to get public input on a statewide tobacco-control plan.

Douglas County residents are encouraged to attend one of the following sessions:

• Monday, Dec. 14 — 1-2 p.m., Community Health Facility, first floor meeting room, 200 Maine St., Lawrence.
• Wednesday, Dec. 16 — 5:30 -6:30 p.m., Lawrence Public Library, meeting room B, 707 Vermont St., Lawrence.

The sessions are designed to engage the community to provide local perspectives on the state tobacco control strategic plan in development, which is scheduled for release in 2016. The plan depends upon the input of people in the private and public sectors from the local, community, regional and state levels across Kansas.

“We’re excited to be part of the efforts to develop a robust statewide tobacco control plan,” Community Health Planner Charlie Bryan said. “We think the statewide efforts will complement what we’ve been working on locally. Lawrence is a leader in Kansas and has many residents who could contribute greatly to this process.”

Local efforts by the Health Department and LiveWell Lawrence’s Tobacco-Free Living Work Group include work toward tobacco-free parks, universities and housing.

The finished state plan will provide strategic direction in addressing the continuing tobacco epidemic in Kansas for the next five years. Each state is required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop a strategic tobacco control plan every five years.

For more information, contact Bryan at cbryan@ldchealth.org or 843-3060.