Altus –Southwest Oklahoma Community Action Group, Inc. is pleased to announce that the Communities of Excellence Wave II grant for Greer, Harmon & Tillman counties has once again been awarded from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust for 2008/2009. The Communities of Excellence grant program challenges local coalitions to create comprehensive programs to reduce tobacco use in their communities. The vision of the Red River Tobacco Education Consortium is to partner together to reduce the impact of tobacco for a healthier future in Greer, Harmon & Tillman counties.

The goal of the Communities of Excellence program is to have communities in which public places and workplaces are tobacco-free, community organizations and events reject tobacco industry sponsorship, schools adopt tobacco-free policies and implement strong anti-tobacco curriculum; health care providers routinely refer tobacco-users to accessible and culturally-appropriate cessation services; businesses adopt tobacco-free policies and provide insurance coverage for tobacco cessation; and local tobacco-related ordinances are enforced.

According to Judy Forehand, local R2TEC chairperson, “We are very excited about the first implementation year of this grant and all the programs that our consortium will be sponsoring in the communities we represent. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in Oklahoma and the partnerships that we have established in Greer, Harmon & Tillman counties will help to reduce this impact.”

During the month of October, the Red River Tobacco Education Consortium is partnering with local fire departments to install smoke detectors and distribute information about the dangers of smoking in the home, which include fire-related deaths and the health risks of exposure to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke exposure kills an estimated 700 Oklahomans each year.

Future plans also include bringing a national speaker and oral cancer survivor to the Mangum, Granite, Hollis, Frederick & Tipton public schools to talk with youth about the importance of staying tobacco free. “Tobacco use causes the premature death of about 5,800 Oklahomans each year and most smokers began using tobacco products when they were young,” according to Forehand. “In fact, among Oklahoma children now under the age of 18, an estimated 87,000 will die prematurely as a result of tobacco addiction. That is a number that we are not willing to accept and that is why this youth prevention effort is so important for our children.” Currently, over 133 schools in the state, including Frederick and Mangum, have passed policies that prohibit the use of tobacco products 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on school campuses to try and combat the effects of role-modeling and tobacco industry messages that children are exposed to every day.

The consortium will also be sponsoring local Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) groups in communities throughout the three-county region. The goal of SWAT is to empower and unite youth to resist and expose tobacco industry marketing techniques and influences, while changing current attitudes about tobacco. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, tobacco industry giant, R.J. Reynolds, just recently announced plans to test-market three new smokeless tobacco products that dissolve in the mouth, come in "fresh" and "mellow" flavors and have slick, colorful packaging similar to gum and candy. “The tobacco industry spends over $70 per person in Oklahoma in marketing and advertising their deadly products,” continues Forehand. “It is an uphill battle but we have to make a stand where our children our concerned and get community and school advocates involved in this process.”

The American Cancer Society’s Great American Smoke Out, November 20, has traditionally been a day for tobacco users to attempt to go “cold turkey” for the day. The Red River Tobacco Education Consortium, along with community partners such as local pharmacists, businesses, city administrators and healthcare providers, will be getting the message out that free help is available through the Oklahoma Help Line, 1-800-QUIT NOW. Most smokers in America – 70 percent – want to quit, but only a small percentage are successful in quitting long-term. Quitting smoking is ultimately one of the single most important lifestyle changes one can make to improve and extend their lives. In addition, tobacco use costs Oklahomans over $2.7 billion annually in medical expenses and lost productivity.

To learn more about Oklahoma’s tobacco cessation, prevention and protection efforts, go to: HYPERLINK "http://www.StopsWithMe.com" www.StopsWithMe.com. For more information about the efforts of the Red River Tobacco Education Consortium, contact Mysti Reneau, Southwest Oklahoma Community Action Group, Inc., at 482-1290.