This program is for students in 3rd grade. The interactive presentation is 45 minutes to one hour long and allows students to discover firsthand some of the 4000+ harmful chemicals that can be found in a single cigarette.
The Tar Wars is a pro-health, tobacco-free poster/billboard contest open to all fourth and fifth grade students in Bureau and Putnam Counties. The winning design is made into a billboard that is displayed throughout the county. The winning design is also printed on t-shirts that all the top winners receive. The local winner advances to the state and possibly national competition. State winner receives a trip to Washington, D.C. and the national winner receives a trip for four to Disney World in Florida.
Teens Against Tobacco Use involves training teens that will then turn around and reach younger school kids with pro-health, anti-tobacco messages that they have developed themselves. This program is uniquely effective as teens are natural role models for younger children. The participating teens, in turn, learn a lot about themselves. Teens involved in T.A.T.U. often say that teaching the facts about tobacco reinforces their own decision not to smoke.
Life Skills Training program addresses all of the most important factors leading young people to use drugs by teaching a combination of health information, general life skills and drug resistance skills. The elementary Life Skills Training program has been sequentially designed to use with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students or it could be used with 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students (depending on the needs of the school). The program consists of eight 30-45 minute lessons to be taught in sequence. Life Skills Training can be scheduled so that it is taught at a rate of one class per week. Alternatively, it can be programmed as a curriculum unit or mini-course so that the entire course is conducted on consecutive class days. Students are given informational sheets to take home to encourage parent support and involvement in this effort.
The "Break the Habit" smoking cessation program is a joint effort by the Bureau/Putnam County Health Department and the Illinois Tobacco Quitline/American Lung Association Helpline. This program is available to residents in Bureau County and Putnam County that desire assistance with smoking cessation efforts. The program is open to participants' age 18 and older. Participants under age of 18 will need the consent of a parent or guardian as well as their physician, if they desire to use nicotine replacement patches from the health department. We do not restrict those under 18 from phoning the Illinois Tobacco Quitline at 1-866-784-8937. Pregnant women who participate will need a written script from their doctor to participate.
How the program works: The individual that is wanting to quit smoking is advised to call the American Lung Association/ Illinois Tobacco Quitline at 1-866-QUIT-YES / 1-866-784-8937. The Quitline will provide free phone counseling to participants and instruct them on any follow up concerns. The program participants are required to continue with the phone counseling throughtout the cessation program. The Quitline will also advise clients to phone the health department at 815-872-5091, ext. 224 to make arrangements for the participate to receive their nicotine replacement theraphy. The health department will provide nicotine replacement patches as advised by the American Lung Association Quitline to the client. They will have a supply of 21mg, 14mg & 7mg patches.
The health department will provide up to 4 weeks of patches for free to those individuals referred for patches by the Quiltine. The patches will be distributed in 1-week amount (7 patches). Clients will need to phone the health department to make arrangements to pick up the patches. Need additional information call 815-872-5091, ext. 224 or the Illinois Tobacco Quitline website at www.quityes.org. The Quiltine is open Monday-Friday from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Freedom from Smoking is a seven-session American Lung Association stop-smoking program. With the supportive environment, many smokers are finally able to break their smoking addictions. Each smoker who joins the clinic will develop an individual plan for quitting. The clinic includes the latest improved skills for good stress management, weight control, assertive communication and exercise, as well as information on Nicotine Replacement Therapy. A panel of ex-smokers will share their success stories to motivate participants to quit. Programs may be scheduled at businesses for their employees and are also offered to the public several times a year. Also visit the website at www.ffsonline.org.
On January 1, 2008--Illinois passed the law stating that smoking will be prohibited in all public places and places of employment. This includes all hospitals, restaurants, bars, taverns, retail stores, elevators, indoor theaters, libraries, museums, concert halls, conventions facilities, private clubs, lobbies, bowling alleys, skating rinks and student dormitories. The law also states that no one can smoke withing 15 feet of any entrance, exit or open ventilation system. In addition, no person may smoke in any governmental vehicle. Also, "No Smoking" signs must be posted at every entrance to all public places and place of employment.
For more information visit the website www.smoke-free.illinois.gov.
All complaints must go either directly to the law enforcement agency or through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) at 1-866-973-4646 or website www.smoke-free.illinois.gov.
For more information contact Dawn Conerton at 815-872-5091, ext. 224 or email dconerton@bchealthdepartment.
