Tobacco Talk!

Welcome to the Weld County Tobacco Education and Prevention Program's monthly newsletter!

This month, we are launching our new newsletter format and have a few updates. Be sure to add  <weldcounty@public.govdelivery.com> to your approved addresses list to make sure you can continue to be included in this community conversation. Thanks for being here, and please reach out if you need anything related to tobacco and vaping prevention and education.

Melanie Cyphers
RN, BSN
Substance Abuse Prevention Supervisor
mcyphers@weld.gov
970-400-2423

Brooklyn Larimore, BS
Youth Policy and Communications Specialist
Blarimore@weld.gov
970-400-2371

What is Tobacco Education & Prevention?

Put simply, tobacco education and prevention is a field in public health dedicated to addressing tobacco use in order to reduce the morbidity and mortality it causes.  

If you aren't new here, you may have noticed our program name has changed from Weld County Tobacco Control Program to Weld County Tobacco Education and Prevention Program (WCTEPP). We did this because "control" had a negativity to it that we felt didn't align with the work we were doing. We help community members stay aware and informed, offer sustainable solutions to questions and issues, and work to strengthen policies and procedures that protect public health.

We believe tobacco education and prevention is important because most people have some connection to tobacco, whether they have experienced loss, firsthand addiction, or care about an issue influenced by the tobacco industry. By sharing stories of these experiences, community members can elevate their voice and help us create community change.

Sharing your personal experience with tobacco is a great way to encourage others to talk about what they're experiencing. Ask yourself: What connection(s) do you have to tobacco? how has tobacco affected your life?  What changes would you like to see in discourse?  What is your story? We want to hear it! 

Back to School Resources

With the new school year approaching quickly, we wanted to remind you of everything WCTEPP offers in our School Resource Guide to support parents, students, and teachers. This interactive and comprehensive guide will not only walk you through everything you need to confidently address tobacco-related issues in your school, but will come with targeted support from the Tobacco Education and Prevention Team to help address your specific needs. From trainings for teachers about vaping, educational presentations on vaping for students, policy assistance, alternatives to suspension, enforcement questions, or other tobacco/vaping related assistance, we have you covered. Request a Resource Guide today to get started!

Community News

WCTEPP's Your Art, Your Story Art Contest

The Weld County Tobacco Education & Prevention Program hosted a Your Art Your Story "Paint and Pizza" event at Carbon Valley Regional Library in May. Brooklyn Larimore spoke about tobacco-related issues and arts-based activism to teach the youth who attended how to use their lived experiences and stories to create positive social change through art.

Part of this event was hosting an art contest for Carbon Valley youth to submit their artwork for an opportunity to win cash prizes and have their work used in the Tobacco Education & Prevention Program's programming. Below are the 1st-3rd place winners, with their description of how their art showed tobacco’s harm.

1st place by Abby: "Vibrant colors, flowers, and garden imagery...pull on positive emotions, while dark, burning, smoky imagery tends to pull on negative emotions. As a person with asthma aggravated by secondhand smoke, I feel my lungs go from the vibrant side to the dark side. I would rather be in a floral garden than a smokey house."

2nd place by Angeline: "As most know, tobacco is a harmful and addictive substance which is often targeted to teens in the end killing them slowly and leaving them to age faster."

3rd place by MaddieTree: "This painting represents the societal pressure to smoke/vape. The unhealthy trees stare down at the healthy tree. The pressure from the unhealthy trees affects the grass around them showing how vaping/smoking affects people around them."

Cessation Resources

Free, confidential, and self-guided service for teens (12-17) trying to quit smoking or vaping. To get started, text "Start My Quit" to 36072, or call 1-855-891-9989 for individualized support, encouragement, and helpful tips. No parental consent required.

Free and online quit service for Colorado residents aged 18 or older. Contact 1-800-QUIT-NOW for assistance and see if you are eligible for a free supply of patches, gum, or lozenges.

The BABY & ME – Tobacco Free Program™ is an evidence based, smoking cessation program created to reduce the burden of tobacco on the pregnant and postpartum population. Contact the Weld County Tobacco Control Program or your physician for more information!