Wednesday, November 16, 2011 By Rachel Zepeda
Smoking Tobacco Cessation The “New Lung” advertises “together we can quit” by sharing there tobacco prevention hot line. - Photo courtesy of the Tobacco Cessation Association.
Did you know that among current U.S. adult smokers, 70% report that they want to quit completely? While it may not seem like a whole lot of people, in actuality it is. People need to put smoking into a consideration because it effects yourself and others around you.
A new program called the Community Alliance Network is going to be working with us for the next three years on Tobacco Prevention Cessation (TPC), also known as the “New Lung”. The program is a community-to- school linked program that targets the tobacco prevention, and cessation needs of youth, young adults, parents and anyone who smokes or uses tobacco.
Tondra Cicali is the leader of the Tobacco Cessation Prevention program, also known as the Health Educator. She is a former teacher who has 16 years of teaching experience and is now working hard on the association, “New Lung” to create healthier teens and adults in local communities.
TPC activities are aimed as a tool to provide free resources to help adults and the youth quit smoking.
“The association will come to the juniors this year to do get information and data, talking about tobacco use,” said Darin Jindra.
“Next, they will go to the freshmen and they will watch a power point about tobacco and the consequences that come with it. They will have health-stand activities on campus,” Jindra continued. “After the whole program is over and done with, they track the kids and give them all the same surveys and then they get together and share what the overall out come is.
Students will be receiving a letter home talking about the tobacco education program and we were lucky to be chosen to be apart of organization.
“Schools such as Tesoro and El Modina High School were also included on the list of schools the ‘New Lung’ will be visiting,” said Jindra. This program “benefits students to learn more about the association and how tobacco and smoking can be very harmful. Also benefits teachers because they help the students understand the consequences when it comes to drugs,” Jindra said.
Overall, this program is going to educate students, teenagers and adults who are strug- gling with tobacco and smoking. Also, it will help others who don’t smoke, and you learn about the consequences that come with smoking tobacco.
By quitting smoking you may reduce your chance of having cancer of the lungs, throat, mouth, lips, gums, kidneys and bladder, heart disease and hardening of the arteries, a stroke and emphysema and other lung diseases. Anyone who is struggling for help in quitting smoking can call 1-866-NEW-LUNG (639-5864). Quit tobacco and save “your health, your family’s health and your money.”