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Passaic
County Department of Health
Room
201
TEL:
(973) 881-4396
FAX:
(973) 225-0222
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2002
(973)
225-3638
RECEIVES TOBACCO CONTROL PROGRAM FUNDS
PATERSON—The
Passaic County Department of Health (PCDH) will renew its
agreement with the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior
Services to receive a Tobacco Control grant. The grant is in
the amount of $60,000 for the grant period March 1, 2003 through
February 28, 2004. It will be coordinated by the PCDH, with
sub-grant awards going to the local municipalities.
This is
the third state Tobacco Control grant awarded to the PCDH.
The county received $60,000 in 2002.
The
adverse effects of smoking are not limited to the individual
who smokes. “Educating the community about tobacco usage
remains a public health priority, especially as it concerns
increasing incidences of lung cancer, low birth weight in
children, ectopic pregnancies (pregnancy which occurs
outside the uterus), and other tobacco related side
effects,” said Medical Epidemiologist of the Passaic County
Department of Health, Dr. Jadwiga Warwas, MD, MPH.
The funding will focus on six objectives:
-
double the number of local ordinances
and/or policies in Passaic County;
-
provide for increased public education in
Passaic County about secondhand tobacco smoke;
-
record all secondhand tobacco smoke
complaints through the local health departments;
-
double the number of public places which
are smokefree;
-
double the number of smokefree restaurants;
-
double the number of smokefree workplaces.
The implementation of this project will
include the cooperation of local health departments in a
number of specific ways: promotion of legislation in local
municipalities to limit access of tobacco products; working
in cooperation with the Coalition Against Tobacco (C.A.T)
and New Jersey GASP; coordinating efforts with the municipal
alliances to develop educational programs and seminars;
providing educational materials to the community about the
effects of secondhand smoke; distributing educational
information to local health care providers; encouraging
residents to file complaints about secondhand tobacco smoke
with their local health departments; and working with
employers to establish smokefree work environments.
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