Stamp Out Smoking, the media and public relations campaign for the Arkansas Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, announced today the 2009 “Tobacco Tackle” essay contest. This contest will give Arkansas students in grades 2-9 the opportunity to submit an essay about a “hero” in their lives who maintains a healthy and tobacco-free [...]
Fifteen-year-old Parkview High School Student Josilyn Mitchell is a member of the Arkansas Youth Leadership Initiative Program (YLI). Josilyn was recently recognized as a finalist in the National Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids 2009 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards. The award honors top youth across the country who have fought hard to promote tobacco [...]
In August 2010, Arkansas state colleges and universities will be required to make their campuses smoke-free, but two schools are taking matters into their own hands to start protecting students from secondhand smoke now. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have implemented smoke-free policies to [...]
Staff from the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program (TPCP) and Office of Oral Health (OOR) are in the process of developing a partnership with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s (AGFC) Hooked on Fishing – Not on Drugs Program (HOFNOD). This partnership will reach students in many of Arkansas’ rural communities to encourage them to never [...]
Patricia G. Edwards, RN, COHN-S
Associate Director
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program
Arkansas Department of Health
Patricia brings over 30 years of healthcare management experience to the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program. In addition to long tenures with Eastman Kodak and L’Oreal, Patricia has worked in acute care hospital management, nursing education, and has held contract positions for local [...]
Retha Davis
Administrative Specialist
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program
Arkansas Department of Health
Retha Davis joins Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Program with twelve years of state insurance regulatory background. While with the Arkansas Insurance Department she worked directly with Consumer Services investigating complaints filed and educating consumers regarding insurance rules and regulations. She also served with the Arkansas Disaster [...]
Geray Pickle
Administrative Analyst, Accounting
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program
Arkansas Department of Health
Geray is joining the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program from the Health Disease and Stroke Section of Chronic Disease Branch. Geray has a BBA Degree from Harding University and brings experience in both business management and auditing.
In her free time, Geray loves to shop, entertain [...]
Miriam Karanja
Health Program Analyst, Smokeless Tobacco
Arkansas Department of Health
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program
Prior to settling in the United States, Miriam worked in Kenya as a brand manager for multi-national consumer products giant Unilever, managing brands in different divisions including detergents, edible fats and skin care.
In 1999, Miriam completed an MBA in Economic Development from Eastern [...]
Jessica K. Ellis
Section Chief, Health Communications/Cessation Interventions
Arkansas Department of Health
Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program
Jessica joins the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where she served as Assistant Administrator for a center within the Department of Pediatrics. Jessica collectively has over 10 years of healthcare experience. Jessica holds an MBA [...]
New survey information shows that there are nearly 100,000 fewer smokers in Arkansas since the beginning of the Arkansas Department of Health’s (ADH) Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program in 2002. When the program started in 2002, 25.1% adults smoked in the state; more current data show that those numbers have decreased to approximately 20.7%.
Dr. Paul [...]
