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April 5, 2018

Upcoming Grant Opportunity

AARP Community Challenge Grant AARP is taking applications for its 2018 Community Challenge Grants, which are for "quick-action" projects to make communities livable for people of all ages. The most ideal projects will include improvements to community spaces, housing options and transportation systems to create a vibrant and accessible community. The application due date is May 16 and projects must be completed by Nov. 5. More information can be found at the AARP website.

New Website for Smoking Cessation

The Asian Smokers' Quitline (ASQ) has launched its new website

Asian Smokers' Quitline created a new website with the goal of providing tools for a more diverse audience to help smokers quit successfully. They have included information, fact sheets, flyers and posters in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese to make smoking cessation materials more accessible for Asian populations. The site also includes new sections that help health care providers and community members with sharing ideas about how to best communicate to their patients and help community members quit smoking.

Visit the new Asian Smoker's Quitline website for more information.

SHIP Spring Regional Meetings

Registration is open SHIP spring regional meetings have started. Participants will: increase their understanding of safe routes to food and the intersections between local planning, physical activity and healthy eating; identify strategies to support local plan implementation; and receive toolkits to help implement strategies. Details can be found on the SHIP registration link.

Tip of the Week

Tobacco Health Systems Change Toolkit 

Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) has a toolkit that provides key resources and practical tools to help clinics and health systems improve how they address tobacco use. Many of these resources have been used by our network of champions advancing tobacco as a priority across their health system and also in the field by ICSI as they conduct practice coaching and quality improvement support.

Visit the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement website to access this resource.

Calendar of Events

Webinar: State and Local Stakeholders' Role in Reducing Menthol Tobacco Use

Date: Thursday, April 26
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Menthol tobacco products continue to impact communities at a disproportionate rate, with African Americans and young people as the highest users of menthol tobacco products. This webinar, hosted by the Tobacco Control Network, will provide resources and best practices on how to understand how menthol tobacco use impacts different communities. The webinar will also discuss how to support policies and interventions that reduce the prevalence of menthol tobacco use in states and municipalities. 

Details about the menthol tobacco use webinar can be found on the partner site of the Tobacco Control Network.

This Week's Gem

Raising the minimum tobacco sales age to 21 has been a topic of discussion in Minnesota lately and is supported by local health advocates. Freeborn County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership Coordinator Lana Howe spoke about the negative effects of early tobacco use in her communities "Our average age of onset here in Freeborn County is the age of 10 years for tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and other drugs," said Howe in an article published by the Albert Lea Tribune in March. She also said that early exposure to nicotine can result in addiction and negatively impact brain development. Howe also referenced a study from the CDC that showed 75 percent of adults in favor of raising the tobacco age to 21, including 70 percent of current smokers. “Stopping or delaying that first step will reduce the risk that kids will progress to using other harmful substances,” Howe said. Thank you Freeborn County SHIP for standing out to support this initiative and being a champion for healthy communities! Photo: Albert Lea Tribune

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