Coalition News

Coalition Grows to More Than 100 Partners and Members

Supporters of the new campaign to reduce smoking and secondhand smoke exposure in Kentucky include major employers; as well as medical professionals, hospitals and other health care providers; school districts and education professionals; national and state health and disease-prevention advocates; faith-based groups; and local health departments. Welcome to our newest members: University of Louisville College of Public Health, We're updating our list daily - see the current list here.

In fographic Portrays the High Cost of Smoking in Kentucky

A new infographic created by Kentucky Voices for Health and offering an easy-to-view visual of the cost of smoking in Kentucky on health, health care expenditures and lost productivity is now available here. The infographic also portrays the benefits of a $1 increase in Kentucky's tobacco tax. Please use this in your newsletters and social media to share this important information. Here's a glimpse:

Casey County Student Smoke-Free Group Receives First Healthy Kentucky Policy Champion Award

Health Journalism Workshop Focuses Heavily on Tobacco-Use Reduction Stories

Reporters and editors from six different publications in Western Kentucky learned about Kentucky's tobacco-related health issues, and the policy changes that can help reduce smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke and use of  tobacco products.The journalists attended a health reporting workshop on Nov. 10 hosted by the Institute for Rural Journalism and Health issues and sponsored by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Ellen Hahn, director of the Kentucky Center for Smoke-Free Policy, shared the benefits of smoke-free laws and Wayne Meriwether, CEO of Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center in Leitchfield talked about the local coalitions' work to enact smoke-free laws in two cities in Grayson County. The goal of this annual workshop is to encourage reporters to cover health issues more in-depth, and to suggest topics.

Partner News

Smoking During Pregnancy Rate Down 13 Percent   

Kentucky saw a 13 percent decrease in the rate of births to mothers who smoked during pregnancy from 2010 to 2015, according to the latest 2017 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book released by Kentucky Youth Advocates on Nov. 14. See book here, and county-by-county youth health profiles here.

Former Ballard County Tobacco Barn Becomes Quit Now Kentucky Billboard

The Purchase District Health Department received a $25,000 grant through the Kentucky Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program to paint this barn in Kevil, Kentucky, with the Quit Now Kentucky logo. It was painted by "The Barn Artist" Scott Hagan.

Recent News Coverage

Recent Coalition Media Coverage:

Kentucky Health News:

Newly launched Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow has quickly grown to more than 100 members and partners

Franklin Favorite: 

Chandler talks 'Smoke-Free Tomorrow'

WFPL 89.3:

Tobacco's Toll: New Push To Stop Smoking In Country's Sickest States

Elizabethtown News Enterprise:

Kentucky launches Coalition for a Smoke-Free Tomorrow

WDRB TV:

New group seeks tax hike on Kentucky cigarettes amid pension woes

Other Tobacco Related News:

NBC News:

E-Cigarettes: The Health Risks of Vaping

1 in 5 U.S. Adults Used Tobacco in 2015: Government Study

Upcoming Events

Workshop: Building Effective Coalitions

November 30, 2017 - 8:30am-3pm, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, Louisville

This workshop, another in the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's Health for a Change training series, will focus on developing strong community coalitions, including developing a plan, building participant buy-in and ensuring sustainability. Register here.

Blueprint for Kentucky's Children: Frankfort 2018, Kids, and You

Convene with Blueprint for Kentucky's Children partners as they prepare for the 2018 General Assembly.  The 9-10 am opening plenary session, will be an opportunity for community leaders and advocates to learn about the Frankfort landscape in 2018--and what it means for the future of Kentucky kids. Following the plenary, Blueprint for Kentucky's Children partners will get to work preparing to advocate for kids throughout the General Assembly. More information here.

Webinar: Finding & Understanding Health Data on Kentucky Youth

December 6, 2017 - 1-2pm

This free Health for a Change webinar will explore a variety of sources for health data about Kentucky youth, including data about cigarette and other tobacco product use. Register here. 

Want to join us?

Does your organization want to help make Kentucky healthier by reducing tobacco use? Click here  to join our Coalition. Or email Angela Koch, akoch@healthy-ky.org.