Partnerships
Tobacco Prevention Alliance Elder Care Chronic Disease Oral Health Communicable Disease
Additional Focus Area
Priority Health Care

Tobacco Prevention Alliance of Ventura - 2002 Projects

Community/School Based Education

Campfire Association, USA ($15,000): Campfire will deliver Self Reliance courses, with a module on tobacco use prevention, to elementary school students. Count on Me Kids (First and Second Graders) motivates young children to take responsibility for their own healthy lifestyles. I'm Peer Proof (or Third - Sixth Graders) teaches effective methods of dealing with peer pressure, and Smoke Signals is the tobacco education component of the program.

El Concilio del Condado de Ventura ($83,456): Targeting middle school ESL students with life skills and anti-tobacco advocacy training, the Youth for Healthy Families Program will assist participants in the development of a community mobilization plan which will include 3-4 anti-tobacco education and advocacy activities, and target local merchants to voluntarily remove tobacco advertising from their stores.

Ventura County Rainbow Alliance ($25,060): This comprehensive program will educate the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered community about tobacco marketing towards the LGBT communities and tobacco use by minors/youth; target tobacco environments on high school and college campuses; and work to change the culture of tobacco addiction in this high-risk community.

American Lung Association of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties ($30,000): The ALA will provide Lungs for Life, a five-session program that education Fourth, Fifth and Sixth grade students on the importance of keeping their lungs healthy. A variety of strategies are used including real lungs, videos, quizzes, and classroom exercises.

Mad Science of Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties ($9,645): Through hands-on science experiments and activities, Grade 5 students will learn and understand the harmful effects of Tobacco use- physically, psychologically and financially. Students grades K - 6 will be introduced to the harmful effects of tobacco use and encouraged "To Be Tobacco Free" through high-energy events with lots of audience interaction.

Higgy Foundation ($51,606): The development of Life Clubs, targeting bilingual and Spanish speaking adults and youth in the Santa Clara Valley, is the focus of this program. Life Clubs will plan and implement community actions to promote tobacco free lifestyle, promote smoke free environments, encourage compliance with current tobacco laws and the development of policies to protect the community from second hand smoke.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Ventura County ($99,950): A consortium of Boys & Girls Clubs in Ventura County will provide SMART (Skills Mastery And Resistance Training) Moves to youth aged 6-18 years as a means to discourage tobacco use. SMART Moves is a peer-facilitated program of education, training, and self-esteem development. Clubs from Camarillo, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Santa Clara (Fillmore, Santa Paula, Piru), Ventura, Oxnard, and Port Hueneme are participating in this consortium.

Community/Youth Empowerment

American Lung Association of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties ($15,136): Educating Key Opinion Leaders (EKOL) Project will develop and train a "resource team" to educate key opinion leaders (elected officials, law enforcement personnel, and others) about local tobacco control activities. A Tobacco Control Report Card will be created to show overall picture of tobacco control legislation in Ventura County and to promote actions that further protect residents.

Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Office (VCSSO) - Special Projects ($85,000): The "Youth As Resource" (YAR) project addresses the issue of increased tobacco use among youth by "empowering" youth and community allies to decrease the availability of tobacco products to minors, and changing community standards and policies correlated with underage use of tobacco. This project involves a direct collaboration between a local community-based organization, Community Action Resource Exchange-Ventura County, dedicated to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs prevention, and the Oxnard Police Department, Oxnard Union High School District and Elementary School District, Ventura Human Services Agency, Business and Employment Services Department and VCSSO.

Ojai Valley Youth Foundation ($50,046): Hear the Hype!, a media literacy program, recognizes the importance of involvement to allow youth to choose for themselves, uses the power of peer influence by including teens as role-models and messengers and helps diffuse the tobacco industry's youth-targeted marketing; develops the capacity of students and teachers through encouraging them to create their own anti-tobacco messages and providing opportunities to learn and be recognized.

Quit Assistance

American Lung Association of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties ($24,794): The national American Lung Association has a new website, Freedom From Smoking Online, which provides free smoking cessation services. In addition to the online cessation services, the Santa Barbara/Ventura ALA will provide local participants with an education packet (educational brochures, relaxation tape, and referral information) and telephone support and follow-up. To increase access to the online program for those with a computer at home or at work, a "Favorites" link to the web site will be created at local library terminals.