Shalon Bogard

Monique Monanu originally began working in Tobacco Prevention and Cessation in 2003 as a secretary and then was promoted to Accounting Technician.  She returned to TPCP in November of 2011 as a Health Program Specialist working with sub grants and contracts.  Previously, Monique worked in the Center for Health Advancement-Center Support as a Procurement Specialist.  Monique holds an Associate of Arts degree from UALR and is currently working toward a BBA Management degree at UALR. She has attended the National School of Real Estate and obtained her real estate license.  She has over eight years of finance/procurement experience.  She has lived in North Little Rock all of her life and enjoys spending time with her children, shopping and traveling.

Debbie Rushing joins the TPCP team after 16 years as a Tobacco Intervention Specialist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Debbie obtained a master’s level certification in Tobacco Treatment from the University of Massachusetts Medical School.  In addition to her tobacco control experience, she is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADAC) and holds a B.S. degree in Community Health from UALR.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Great American Smokeout Gives Arkansans

One More Reason to Quit

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (DATE) – Stamp Out Smoking encourages Arkansas tobacco users to participate in the Great American Smokeout on November 17.  The Great American Smokeout is a national cessation day held every year by the American Cancer Society, and 2011 marks the 36^th year it has been recognized.  The day is selected to raise awareness on the dangers of tobacco and to help tobacco users quit, for at least one day, with the hope that they will quit for good.

“Arkansas has so many great resources to help tobacco users quit,” said [NAME], [TITLE] of [ORGANIZATION  NAME].  “The Great American Smokeout, coupled with the dangerous health effects and growing costs of tobacco, is just one more reason for Arkansans to take advantage of those resources like the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline.”

The Arkansas Tobacco Quitline, which can be reached by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW, provides free motivational counseling with a trained Quit CoachÒ and free nicotine-replacement therapy medications such as gum and patches.  The Quitline is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., and services are available in English, Spanish, Marshallese and additional languages if needed.  Counseling is tailored to the specific needs of the tobacco user.  Women who are pregnant are eligible for a specialized cessation program with additional benefits.

Smoking causes coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, and doubles a person’s risk for stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  It causes cancers of the bladder, mouth, esophagus, kidney and lung, and has negative effects on reproduction and early childhood. Although nicotine is extremely addictive, quitting is possible with the proper support.

For information on additional cessation resources available in Arkansas, visit stampoutsmoking.com.  To begin tobacco cessation counseling with the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW and take the first step towards freedom from tobacco.

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Download the customizable news release here.

Brenda Howard, Section Chief of Cessation

TPCP is pleased to introduce its new Cessation Section Chief, Brenda Howard, MS, CADC, CCS. Brenda joins us from the UAMS- Department of Psychiatry Severe Barriers Project where she worked as a Project Specialist. For the past seven years she has worked with TEA recipients identified with barriers to employment in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, and domestic violence.  She has a Master’s of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.  She is also a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, and Certified Clinical Supervisor.  She has been working in the mental health and treatment field since 1994.

Santi Amoakohene, Health Program Specialist for Smokeless Tobacco

Santi first began work with TPCP in November of 2010 and in August transitioned to the programmatic side of the program as Health Program Specialist for Smokeless Tobacco. She holds a Masters of Public Affairs degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelors degree in Sociology.  She has extensive international and domestic volunteer experience, particularly with non-profits focused on the advancement of developing countries. She is excited about working with TPCP and gaining new knowledge in the area of Public Health.

In particular, the specialists will help providers routinely identify patients who are tobacco users and connect them to the available resources in the state. The program will aim to decrease prevalence statewide, with a special focus on reducing the many disparities between populations in Arkansas, including:

• Less educated populations who have a much higher percentage of smokers than those populations with more formal education. As the level of education decreases, tobacco use prevalence has been shown to increase.
• Lower income populations who have a much higher percentage of smokers than those in higher income groups. As the annual income decreases, tobacco use prevalence increases

Benefits of the outreach program to Arkansas:

• Educated and trained providers in coordinated tobacco treatment
• Decreased tobacco use among disparate populations
• Decline in economic impact of tobacco related illness in Arkansas
• Decline in economic impact from loss in productivity
• Improved health for Arkansans

Click here to learn more, or for more information contact Dathan Johnson at Dathan.Johnson@arkansas.gov

A press conference announcing the partnership was held on October 6 at the Arkansas State Capitol.

For more information, contact Antionne Alcorn at Antionne.Alcorn@arkansas.gov

The number of adult Americans who smoke is on the decline again after several years of little change, and those who smoke are puffing fewer cigarettes a day, new government stats show.

But smoking rates are still far higher than federal goals, U.S. health officials said.

An estimated 19.3% of U.S. adults (or 45.3 million people) smoke, according to 2010 data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s roughly 3 million fewer smokers than there were five years ago, and compares to an adult smoking rate of 20.9% in 2005 and 20.6% in 2009.

Meanwhile, there are fewer heavy smokers, while young, newer smokers puff less. The percentage of those who smoke more than a pack-and-a-half per day dropped to 8.3% in 2010 from 12.7% in 2005, while those who smoke nine or fewer cigarettes daily rose to 21.8% from 16.4% during the same time period. Daily smokers on average puffed 15.1 cigarettes per day in 2010, a slight drop from 16.7 in 2005.

Click here to read the full story.

FTC Reports Smokeless Tobacco Marketing Is On the Rise

Increasing Number of Arkansans Using Smokeless Products

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Aug. 8, 2011) – A recently released report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that advertising and promotion spending by major manufacturers of smokeless tobacco in the U.S. has risen from $354.1 million in 2006 to $547.9 million in 2008. This represents a nearly 55 percent increase in spending in just two years.

The uptick in the marketing of smokeless tobacco correlates to a steady rise in smokeless tobacco usage by Arkansans.  As of 2008, 7.1 percent of Arkansas adults used smokeless tobacco, up from 5.1 percent in 2002.  More men than women use smokeless tobacco products, and of the male population, 16.2 percent of white non-Hispanic adult males use smokeless tobacco.  Four percent of Hispanic men and 3.6 percent of African-American men use smokeless tobacco.

Alarmingly, this trend extends to Arkansas’ youth, namely high school boys. In 2010, 30.9 percent of white non-Hispanic males in grades 9 through 12 reported using smokeless tobacco products, an increase of 24 percent from 2005. Among African-American and Hispanic high school-aged males, 6.5 percent and 12.9 percent used smokeless tobacco products respectively, significantly higher than the overall usage rates for adults of the same ethnicities.

Many attribute the increase in smokeless tobacco use to an increase in smoke-free policies in workplaces and public places.  Tobacco companies have marketed their smokeless products as a way to obtain nicotine when smoking isn’t an option, specifically encouraging the use of these products in offices and airplanes.  The tobacco industry’s marketing efforts dwarf what states spend to keep youth from starting to use tobacco and helping tobacco users quit, outspending such programs at a rate of 20 to 1 in 2008.

Southwest and north central Arkansas, as well as some Delta counties, maintain the highest concentrations of smokeless users in the state.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranked Arkansas third in the nation for smokeless tobacco use based on 2006-2007 data.

“There is no question that smokeless tobacco use is a growing problem in our state,” said Dr. Carolyn Dresler, medical director for the Arkansas Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program.  “That’s why we have renewed focus in the last several years on raising awareness of the serious health consequences of smokeless tobacco while also offering valuable resources to those who want to quit.”

Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes.  According to the CDC, smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents and is a known cause of several types of human cancer.   Since the tobacco is typically held between the lips and gums, smokeless tobacco has severe consequences for oral health.  In addition to cancer, smokeless tobacco is associated with recession of the gums, gum disease and tooth decay.

Smokeless users in Arkansas can receive help via the Arkansas Tobacco Quitline.  Callers receive five one-on-one phone sessions with a QuitCoach® tailored to the individual’s specific needs and unlimited access to Web Coach™, an interactive, online community that offers tools to quit, social support and more information about quitting.  The service can be accessed seven days, 24 hours a day, and is available in English, Spanish and additional languages as needed, including Marshallese. The Arkansas Tobacco Quitline is available year round by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

About the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program

The Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program is a branch of the Arkansas Department of Health.  It funds the state tobacco Quitline, as well as the Stamp Out Smoking media and public education campaign and tobacco control coalitions across the state. For more information, visit stampoutsmoking.com.

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Please contact Janice for educational materials on tobacco prevention at Janice.Davis@arkansas.gov or at 501-661-2953. Please join us in welcoming Janice.

TPCP Grantee Calendar of Events

July – September 2011

Title of Event:

Reducing the Burden: A July Noon Series to Conquer Cancer – Arkansas Cancer Coalition

Date of Event:

July 8, 15, 22 and 29, 2011 12:15 – 1:15 pm each date

Location of Event:

501 Jack Stephens Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205

Contact Person:

Shelley Brown, 501-526-6302 or visit www.cme.uams.edu

Description of Event:

The cancer topics will include Health Disparities in Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Ovarian Cancer and Skin Cancer.  The target audience is Cancer education to residents, practicing physicians, APN’s, nurses, and other healthcare providers in primary care. Broadcast from The Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute, 12^th Floor, UAMS Campus and via Interactive Video simultaneously at selected Area Health Education Centers and rural hospitals across the state.

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Title of Event:

Northwest Arkansas Tobacco Free Full Coalition Meeting

Date of Event:

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Location of Event:

Washington County Health Unit, 3720 North Wimberly, Fayetteville, AR 72703

Contact Person:

Tyler B. Clark and Page Daniel

Email: tclark.nwatfc@gmail.com & pdaniel.nwatfc@gmail.com

Description of Event:

The NWATFC Full Coalition Meeting is an opportunity for all members to congregate and discuss topics of interest while engaging in and approving the future endeavors.

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Title of Event:

UAPB Sub-Grantee Award Press Conference

Date of Event:

Thursday, July 14, 2011 10:00am

Location of Event:

UAPB North Little Rock Site, 1333 Main St, North Little Rock, AR

Contact Person:

Connie Robinson, 870-575-8923 or Robinsonc@uapb.edu

To register http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SFDKXTF

Description of Event:

The Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office will recognize and award organizations with funding to aid in their continued work against tobacco.  The press conference will be followed by The Annual Technical Assistance Training.

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Title of Event:

UAPB Sub-Grantee New Technical Assistance Training

Date of Event:

Thursday, July 14, 2011 10:30am to 12:30pm

Location of Event:

UAPB North Little Rock Site, 1333 Main St, North Little Rock, AR

Contact Person:

Connie Robinson, 870-575-8923 or Robinsonc@uapb.edu

To register http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SFDKXTF

Description of Event:

The training will provide an overview of guidelines and requirements for Arkansas Department of Health and Minority Initiative sub-grantees.  The training covers expectations for the coming year and information on resources that are available to ensure success in conducting and implementing tobacco prevention programs.

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Title of Event:

UAPB Sub-Grantee Grant Evaluation and Monitoring System (GEMS) Training

Date of Event:

Thursday, July 14, 2011 1:00pm-4:00pm

Location of Event:

DFA/OIS AASIS Service Center, 124 W. Capitol Avenue (corner of Capitol and Louisiana): Little Rock, AR

Contact Person:

Connie Robinson, 870-575-8923 or Robinsonc@uapb.edu

To register http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SFDKXTF

Description of Event:

The GEMS (Grant Evaluation and Management Solution) training is an overview of the web-based reporting system for the Arkansas Department of Health and the Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office sub-grantees. The system is used to track planned sub-grantee activities and outcomes in an effort to ensure productivity and accountability.

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Title of Event:

TPCP Sub-Grantee Technical Assistance Workshop

Date of Event:

Friday, July 15, 2011

Location of Event:

Hilton Little Rock Metro Center, 925 S. University Ave, Little Rock, AR 72204

Contact Person:

Beccy Secrest 501-661-2048 or rebecca.secrest@arkansas.gov

Description of Event:

Technical assistance workshop to provide sub-grantees with tools and resources to assist with sub-grant deliverables and to learn about TPCP media campaigns in the upcoming year. In addition, sub-grantees will have the opportunity to network, participate in group activities, and ask questions about work-plan activities.

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Title of Event:

5^th Anniversary of Acts 8 and 13 of 2006 Press Conference and Launch of Act 811

Date of Event:

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Location of Event:

State Capitol, 2^nd floor Rotunda, Little Rock, AR

Contact Person:

Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas, 501.687.0345 and kdonald@arfreshair.com

Description of Event:

A media event to celebrate the 5^th anniversary of Acts 8 and 13 of 2006 and commemorate July 27^th as the effective date for Act 811 of 2011, Arkansas’s newly expanded smoke-free car law.

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Title of Event:

Sisters Warring Against Tobacco (SWAT) Coalition Meeting

Date of Event:

August 3, 2011

Location of Event:

Future Builders – 16117 Hwy 365 – Little Rock, AR 72206

Contact Person:

Future Builders, Inc. – 501-897-5566 – linderconley@aol.com

Description of Event:

The SWAT Coalition will meet to review the tobacco prevention work plan objectives, plan activities for the first quarter, brainstorm additional strategies to meet the first and second quarter objectives and build networking opportunities within the identified communities of Pulaski and Jefferson counties.

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Title of Event:

CSH/El Dorado School District Staff Health Fair

Date of Event: August 15, 2011

Location of Event:

El Dorado High School, 2000 Wildcat Drive, El Dorado, AR  71730

Contact Person:

Karen Magee, PRIDE Youth Programs, 870-864-5121, gkaren0820@yahoo.com

Description of Event:

A Staff Health Fair will be held at the new El Dorado High School utilizing local agencies and resources to provide health information (including tobacco /cessation information) and health screenings for staff.  Blood pressure screenings, blood sugar screenings, cholesterol screenings, BMI screenings, etc. will be offered.  The fair will house over 30 educational/informational booths; door prize/incentives will be offered to increase participation.  

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Title of Event:

Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program Advisory Committee Meeting

Date of Event:

Wednesday, August 17, 2011 1:30PM-3:30PM

Location of Event:

American Cancer Society, 901 North University Ave. Little Rock, AR 72207

Contact Person:

Shelia Garrett, 501-661-2210, shelia.garrett@arkansas.gov

Description of Event:

The Tobacco Advisory Committee (TAC) meets a minimum of once each quarter to advise and assist the Arkansas Board of Health in carrying out provisions of Act 1572 of 2001.

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Title of Event:

Making an Impact 2011 TPCP Media Training Workshop

Date of Event:

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Location of Event:

Crowne Plaza Hotel Jackson Room 201 South Shackleford Little Rock, AR 72211

Contact Person:

Miriam Karanja, 501-661-2362, Miriam.Karanja@arkansas.gov

To register: http://surveymonkey.com/tpcp_media_training_workshop

Description of Event:

From press releases to paid advertising, this workshop will equip advocates and tobacco control partners with the skills needed to maximize media exposure. During the workshop, partners will learn proper style and formatting for distribution of professional materials, how to perform on-camera media interviews and the importance of marketing, advertising and public relations for effective tobacco control. To participate in the workshop, coalitions must register by July 15.

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Title of Event:

9^th Annual Striking Out Tobacco in Arkansas Conference

Date of Event:

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Location of Event:

U of A-Cooperative Extension Services Building, 2301 S. University Avenue, Little Rock, AR

Contact Person:

Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas, 1100 N. University Avenue, Suite 257, Little Rock, AR 72207

(501) 687-0345

Description of Event:

Some tentative topics of the workshop include “Spit, Spit-less and other Emerging Tobacco Products,” “Tobacco Prevention and Education in Medical Settings,” and “Does Big Tobacco Have a New Strategy for Defeating Smoke-free Laws?”

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Title of Event:

9^th Annual Striking Out Tobacco in Arkansas Conference

Date of Event:

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Location of Event:

U of A-Cooperative Extension Services Building, 2301 S. University Avenue, Little Rock, AR

Contact Person:

Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas, 1100 N. University Avenue, Suite 257, Little Rock, AR 72207

(501) 687-0345

Description of Event:

Some tentative topics of the workshop include “Spit, Spit-less and other Emerging Tobacco Products,” “Tobacco Prevention and Education in Medical Settings,” and “Does Big Tobacco Have a New Strategy for Defeating Smoke-free Laws?”

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Title of Event:

Buttanical Garden

Date of Event:

August 31 – September 3

Location of Event:

Polk County Fair Grounds, Mena, AR 71953

Contact Person:

Healthy Connections, 479-437-3449, ext 136, krowe@healthy-connections.org

Description of Event:

Buttanical Garden is an outlet used to show Polk County community members the effects cigarette litter has on our community.  There will be information on the Quitline, secondhand smoke, Act 811 and a petition for smoke-free parks, available for attendees to sign.

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Title of Event:

Drug Free Rogers-Lowell Coalition Meeting

Date of Event:

September 14, 2011

Location of Event:

317 West Walnut St. Rogers, AR 72756

Contact Person:

Natalie Burchit, 479-936-2611 or natalie@rogerslowell.com

Description of Event:

The Drug Free Rogers-Lowell Coalition meets regularly to discuss the progress of the Tobacco Prevention and Education Grant, informing coalition members of activities and volunteer opportunities.  DFRL conducts quarterly trainings for its members on the tobacco related issues and laws, new products, and media/marketing literacy.  New members and guests are always welcome.

Maxine’s Tap Room was founded in 1950, by Maxine Miller, and is still known as a Fayetteville institution, located on Block Street. Maxine was a fixture in her taproom, often sitting on her stool, ready for conversation, and mostly likely, a cigarette in her hand. “Maxine worked in the bar most of her life until the decline of her health in early 2000. Very few people knew she was diagnosed with emphysema in her late 60’s, which was likely a direct result from her many years of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke,” said Andrea Foren, Maxine’s great niece. Foren assumed ownership of the taproom after Maxine’s death in 2006. A fire, resulting from an unattended burning cigarette, left the bar damaged shortly after it reopened. In May of 2010, Foren took the steps to make Maxine’s Tap Room smoke-free. “It was exactly four years after her death, and I did it in honor of her,” Foren continued.

Maxine’s Tap Room joins four other smoke-free bars in Fayetteville, including: Smoke & Barrel, Sideways, Dickson Street Pub and Speakeasy. “I was excited to hear of Andrea’s decision to make Maxine’s smoke-free. Not only do smoke-free policies protect patrons and employees from secondhand smoke, it encourages people to quit smoking,” said Tyler Clark, Project Coordinator for the NWA Tobacco Free Coalition. Foren concurred, “I am very passionate about smoke free environments. Not only does it protect my heath, it also protects the health of my employees and will hopefully encourage my thirsty patrons to stop smoking.”

Maxine’s Award