In response to the continued high prevalence of tobacco use in the region, the North Country Population Health Improvement Program (NC PHIP) of AHI has established the North Country Tobacco Use Reduction Task Force. The Task Force, comprised of individuals and organizations committed to improving the health of North Country communities, will promote strategies to reduce the use of all forms of tobacco products throughout the region via a new initiative, “It’s Time to Clear the Air in the North Country.”
The Task Force will promote a comprehensive strategy that includes educating the region about the prevalence and impact of tobacco use, expanding and strengthening tobacco cessation services, promoting smoke-free policies, and raising the minimum legal sale age of tobacco products to 21 years of age throughout six North Country counties (Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Warren and Washington).
Additionally, NC PHIP (which is supported through a grant from the NYS Department of Health) recently released a new report, “Review of Data Associated with Adult Cigarette Smoking in the North Country.” The report can be viewed and downloaded from the HealthyADK website at www.healthyadk.org.
For more information about this initiative and to find out how to get involved, contact Tom Tallon, AHI PHIP Manager, at [email protected] or 518.480.0111, ext. 306.
