This film (below) is a collection of stories about improving the communities we live in. Together, we can protect neighbors, friends, and families from the number one cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S.. Tobacco companies go to great lengths to make sure their products are part of our everyday lives, but we don’t really need them to be part of our lives.
Ringgold County Public Health was awarded a two-year Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) tobacco prevention grant. From May 2010 through March 2012, community organizations, county residents, and Public Health raised awareness for tobacco-free policies and tripled use of Quitline Iowa (1-800-QUIT-NOW).
Ringgold County Hospital and Clinic is now performing mini interventions with each tobacco user during medical visits and providing Quitline Iowa as a resource. This change has greatly contributed to more residents accessing the free Quitline.
As of 2011, Kellerton, Mount Ayr, Redding and Tingley now enjoy tobacco-free city parks and baseball fields, and the Ringgold County Fairgrounds no longer accepts tobacco company sponsorship money. These types of policies protect kids from tobacco companies by reducing the number of places where kids are exposed to their deadly products and associated advertising. The less kids see tobacco products promoted or used, the less likely they will be to start smoking or chewing tobacco.
Produced By: PreventionSpeaks.org