Cochise County Health Department

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Cochise County Health Department

• Changes to the Tobacco Grant
• (Tobacco Education/Prevention Program--TEPP)

Vaira Harik, Health Director
July 22, 2008
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• The AZ Dept. of Health Services (ADHS) has
• drastically reduced the availability of funding
• under the statewide Tobacco Education /
• Prevention program to all Arizona counties.
• Cochise Countys base budget amount has been
• reduced from 360,000 to 172,000
• 52 decrease.

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• There is a possibility of an additional 38,000
  for
• FY08/09 from the State to smooth the transition.
• We will know more in September

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• Why?
• -Reduced revenue from Tobacco Taxes
• -Specter of the state-wide budget crisis
• -Revision of the Strategic Plan for a
  Tobacco-Free Arizona
• -Desire to revitalize state-wide effort with
  large social marketing campaign ( ).

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The States Changes to the Program for FY08/09
and Beyond

• -Counties no longer provide cessation services
• -Counties shall focus efforts on Title I
  (at-risk)
• schools
• -Counties shall place increased focus on building
  community-level capacity to carry forth
• state-driven messages
• -Counties should determine whats best for their
• communities regarding implementation.

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Implications for Cochise County Tobacco Program

• -Reducing amount and number of contracts with
  certain County schools (non-Title I)
• -Developing anti-smoking Champions in schools,
  PTAs, Faith-based orgs.
• -Developing community interest and policy
  formulation
• -Advocating continued implementation of AGs
  Counter Strike program in Cochise County

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Implications for Cochise County Tobacco Program

• Broadening the focus from Tobacco to Smoking,
  
• which therefore allows us to target abuse of
• substances such as marijuana,heroin, meth, etc.

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The Future

• The CCHD will work with our partners on optimal
• ways to include and educate the parents of our
• subject populations.
• Continual evaluation of our methods and messages
• will be necessary to craft interventions that are
  right
• for our kids and their social context in this
  county.

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Staff Will Move from STEPS Programto Tobacco
Teen Pregnancy Prevention
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End