American Lung Association Supports Local Efforts to Promote “Tobacco-Free Living”
Funding Provided by the Expanding Smokefree Communities, Community Transformation Grants Program
Washington, D.C. - As part of the American Lung Association’s commitment to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, the organization is funding five community-based initiatives with the goal of improving health equity in populations disproportionately impacted by tobacco use.
In September 2011, the American Lung Association National Office was funded by the National Dissemination and Support Initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Community Transformation Grants (CTG) Program for a five-year project on tobacco-free living. A total of $400,000 will be distributed to local Lung Association’s to support the following community efforts through September 2014. This is the second set of community-based initiatives the American Lung Association has supported as part of this initiative. Here is more information on the first set of community initiatives.
Below are short descriptions of the second round of community initiatives:
- The LungUSA Region will focus their project efforts on engaging residents in southwest Virginia to promote tobacco-free school environments, which include all school property and all off-campus school-sponsored events.
- The American Lung Association of the Midland States will work to implement health system change and reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in mental health facilities in Traverse City, Michigan and surrounding counties.
- The American Lung Association of the Plains Gulf will work with organizations and residents to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in multi-unit housing in Wichita, Kansas.
- The American Lung Association of the Southeast will focus their efforts on implementing health system changes in medical clinics serving uninsured and low-income individuals in Columbia, South Carolina.
- The American Lung Association of the Southwest will conduct a project with Public Housing Authorities and residents of multi-unit housing in select counties in New Mexico to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke.
“The American Lung Association is proud to be a part of CDC’s historic investment in prevention through the Community Transformation Grants program that will help prevent and reduce tobacco use and save lives,” said Harold P. Wimmer, American Lung Association National President and CEO. “The American Lung Association will use these funds to reach the most at-risk populations who are disproportionately impacted by tobacco-related illness.”
Funded Lung Associations will work with targeted communities that have a population less than 500,000 to establish broad, multi-sectoral community leadership teams and pursue strategies to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.
The CDC’s “Accelerating the Spread and Reach of CTG Strategies in Communities Nationwide” Activity Area involves mobilizing national networks, like the American Lung Association, to increase the reach of the CTG program by empowering communities to implement projects proven to reduce chronic diseases such as lung disease.
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About the Expanding Smokefree Communities CTG Program
Funded by the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund, the CTG Acceleration Grant funds were awarded through a competitive agreement process to three national networks (the American Lung Association, National REACH Coalition and YMCA of the USA) to support sub-awardees to engage and collaborate with other sectors to advance the goals of the CTG program nationally; disseminate CTG strategies within their national networks; and amplify and accelerate the spread and reach of the CTG program by providing small amounts of funding to local affiliates to assess the health of communities and act upon local health priorities. The CTG program is expected to run until 2016 and reach about 120 million Americans — or more than 1 in 3 U.S. citizens. To learn more, please visit www.cdc.gov/communitytransformation/
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About the American Lung Association
Now in its second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is “Fighting for Air” through research, education and advocacy. For more information about the American Lung Association, a holder of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide Seal, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or visit www.lung.org.
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