Project Action of Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery Counties
| A | dvocacy to | ||
| C | ontrol | ||
| T | obacco | ||
| I | n | ||
| O | ur | ||
| N | eighborhood |
About Us
Project Action Director: Maureen Rhodes |
Project Action Coordinator: |
PROJECT ACTION is the Tobacco Free Coalition for Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery Counties.
Project ACTION is:
- Committed to reducing tobacco use and exposure to second hand smoke in Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery counties
- Committed to educating the public about the hazards of tobacco use and second hand smoke
- Committed to promoting cessation from tobacco products
- Committed to creating healthy tobacco-free environments
Funded by the New York State Department of Health.
How we take action in the community.
Community activities related to reducing tobacco use are encouraged and supported. Work sites that have made a pledge to have smoke-free grounds are recognized and receive support and assistance in developing policies and tobacco cessation programs. Interested work sites can receive educational information regarding the hazards of tobacco use and the dangers of second-hand smoke for distribution to employees as well as on site cessation services.
Schools
School efforts to create smoke-free environments are supported and assisted in creating smoking policies and tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
Healthcare Settings
We encourage primary medical and dental care providers to routinely advise tobacco prevention and cessation and provide support and assistance for those that use tobacco products. Project Action has a strong partnership with both St. Mary’s Hospital and Nathan Littauer Hospital. Project ACTION endorses the 5 A’s for nurses to help their patients quit using tobacco.
The Project Action coalition works to promote local cessation services and quit guides for tobacco users who would like to quit. Coalition partners, St. Mary’s Hospital, Healthlink of Nathan Littauer Hospital, and the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Council of Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery counties work together to offer cessation counseling and services to the three county residents. New York State offers a telephone quit line (1-866-NY-QUITS) as well as an interactive quit site, www.nysmokefree.com to assist smokers in quitting.
For more information about Project Action or to join the coalition,
please visit www.projectactionhfm.org or call 518-841-7123.
Mission
The Project ACTION coalition is committed to systematically reducing tobacco use in Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery Counties.
Project Action is a community coalition made up of concerned community members, health and human service organizations, school districts, political leaders and the media. We are a three county coalition who meet monthly, rotating meeting locations between each of the three counties.
Goals
Coalition goals center around community awareness and education related to smoking prevention and smoking cessation.
Project Action has been in existence for eleven years. The coalition is funded through a grant from the New York State Department of Health’s Tobacco Control Program. We are housed at St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam, NY.
Project Action works with coalition members to support them in their tobacco education, prevention and cessation efforts. The coalition has been instrumental in training numerous community members in cessation programming. We are an excellent source of up- to- date data and tobacco-related educational materials for schools, community agencies and concerned citizens.
Project Action knows that smoking and second hand smoke are very harmful for you and your family. We care enough to educate the public about the dangers surrounding tobacco use as well as the importance of smoke-free workplaces, homes and vehicles.
Accomplishments
Reduce Exposure to Second Hand Smoke (SHS)
- Expanded Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA) signed March 24, 2003 and implemented July 24, 2003. Assemblyman Paul Tonko, an active member of the Coalition co-sponsored the CIAA bill in the Assembly;
- Assisted SMH in the development of expanded smoke-free grounds policies and procedures for the hospital and the Carondelet Pavilion;
- Provided free No-Smoking signs, brochures and gear to area restaurants and taverns to assist them to become compliant with the law;
- Coordinated 1 pre and 2 post law compliance observational studies of 6 restaurants, 6 taverns and 2 bowling alleys in the three county region. (Pre-law compliance 32%, Post law compliance 98%);
- Collaborated with 2 school districts and Student Support Services to develop model policies and programs to prevent tobacco use on all school property.
Decrease Social Acceptability of Tobacco Use
- Developed media campaigns to promote smoke free activities. (Included print, radio, TV and billboards);
- 3 county surveys on tobacco attitudes and issues through Syracuse University. Collaborated with schools and human services prevention programs to provide science-based tobacco prevention programs in schools;
- Sponsored sporting events and local athletes to promote anti-tobacco messages;
- Collaborated with tri-county Reality Check youth groups
Promote Cessation from Tobacco Use
- Promoted and underwrote 11 tobacco cessation programs in 3 counties;
- Provided Not On Tobacco (NOT) and Alternative To Suspension (ATS) train the trainer program for area teachers and prevention educators;
- Collaborated and provided staff and support for a Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) program for 6 school districts;
- Developed New Parent Initiative to provide education for new parents in both Nathan Littauer and St. Mary’s Hospitals Obstetric Units
- Provided information cards on health risks associated with tobacco use to all SMH visitors for 1 week (600 cards given);
- Collaborated with SMH Education Council to develop “Patient Teaching for Smoking Cessation” self study guide and post test for annual minimal competency testing for all professional nursing staff;
- Collaborated with SMH Education Council to develop soft ware system to alert Respiratory Care of inpatients who smoke so that they can receive additional cessation education and counseling within 24 hours of admission. (Documentation for cessation education increased from 38% to 86% from July to November;
- Surveyed SMH employees on smoking policies and attitudes and SMH provided free Nicotine Replacement Therapeutics to employees who wanted to quit smoking;
- Promoted and underwrote TV and radio ads for cessation promotion developed by students of local high schools; (2 ads were on MTV for 1 month each);
- Collaborated with the Leader Herald Newspapers to develop a poster contest in local elementary schools. Winning Ads were printed twice weekly for 3 months and once weekly for 3 months.
Build and Maintain an Effective Tobacco Control Infrastructure
and Contribute to the Science of Tobacco Control
- Provided scholarship to coalition member to attend the National Conference on Tobacco or Health;
- Collaborated with regional Tobacco Control Coalitions to develop coordinated media campaigns;
- Participated in all NYS DOH Regional Planning Meetings.