RPTFC Membership News
Article by David Huber, American Lung Association
The Regional PA Tobacco-Free Coalitions (RPTFC) Membership Sign-Up Incentive Program ends December 31st! If you can influence your coworkers, partners and friends to sign-up to become a member before the end of the year, then you can receive one Regional Coalition item of your choice! You may select from up to five items as a thank you from us! See our join page for further details. And, new members can select three coalition items just for joining the coalition!
Why Join?
The American Lung Association’s Regional Tobacco-Free Coalition is dedicated to saving lives by eliminating tobacco use and tobacco-related lung disease throughout the Northcentral, Northeast, and Southcentral regions of Pennsylvania. As part of Pennsylvania’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, our work is based on the Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The goals identified are designed to guide programs in their effort to significantly decrease tobacco related morbidity, mortality, and economic costs.
Becoming a member of the coalition is an opportunity for someone you know to be involved directly in our mission of elimination tobacco use and tobacco-related lung disease throughout Pennsylvania. As a member, they will receive a monthly newsletter, email updates, educational webinars, as well as in-person and electronic networking opportunities with other public health professions involved in tobacco work. Contact Chelsey Hildebrand for additional details.
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Today is the Great American Smoke-Out! What are your plans to celebrate?
Today is November 18th, and most importantly, the Great American Smoke-Out! The Great American Smoke Out is a national tobacco-free holiday to help current smokers quit. It takes place each year on the third Thursday of November. Fun tobacco-free activities can be planned with your adult participants or with a TRU youth group around this day.
This week, TRU groups can join in on a scavenger hunt, a Escape Room activity, and much more! Join TRU’s Stick to Quitting campaign to inspire others to start and continue their quit journey. Visit Truinpa.org for more details. Or share the American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking webpage to explore ways to help someone you know quit too!
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World Pneumonia Day
This past week it was World Pneumonia Day. In 2018, approximately 44,000 people in the United States died from pneumonia. Pneumonia deaths are largely preventable via vaccination and appropriate treatment. The following list of vaccines help prevent pneumonia infection:
- COVID-19
- Hib
- Influenza
- Measles
- Pertussis (whooping cough)
- Pneumococcal
- Chickenpox (varicella)
The Lung Association has also partnered with Pfizer for many years on pneumococcal pneumonia awareness. We have some great assets on the lung.org/pneumococcal site targeted at adults 65+ (including fast facts, an animation, a downloadable factsheet, a risk assessment, etc.). Be sure to share some of these great resources today!
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Regional Coalition Meetings
Mark your 2022 calendar for our next Regional Coalition meetings. For now, all meetings will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams unless noted.
Southcentral:
Tues, March 8, 2022, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Tues, June 7, 2022, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Northcentral:
Wed, March 9, 2022, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Wed, June 8, 2022, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Northeast:
Wed, March 16, 2022, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Wed, June 15, 2022, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
New Address for the Camp Hill Office
The American Lung Association, Camp Hill office, has a new address. Please use the following address for all communication you previously sent to the Camp Hill office:
American Lung Association in Pennsylvania, PO Box 277, Camp Hill, PA 17001
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My Best Friend Campaign
Article by Nelson Mena, Latino Connection
We all need a friend to lean on and to lift our spirits. A caring friend who will always be there by your side through the hard times and make you feel better. Sometimes, that friend isn’t a person. It’s actually a cigarette.
The truth hurts when you realize that your so-called best friend is actually toxic to you and the people that you love. At Latino Connection, we believe that a powerful message needs to be evocative so we can truly connect and motivate vulnerable populations. We developed and curated a campaign using shocking custom illustrations, paired with succinct verbiage in both English and Spanish, to get the message across to our target audience. We encourage viewers to seek free support via the PA Quitline.
The illustrations juxtapose the joy and mirth of this toxic friendship with pain, suffering and detriment. Our campaign was broadcasted in two ways: over social media and on our custom digital ad screens.
Latino Connection's Special Events
In 2021 Latino Connection hosted 7 events in partnership with the Tobacco Prevention Unit (TRU) at Churches and Educative entities in Central PA and SEPA to interact with teens raising awareness of the dangers of Tobacco products consumption during their tender years of physical and mental development.
These events are presented in a fun/friendly way to capture their attention and they are engaged with activities such as:
The Smoke Free Life Commitment - Students signed a pledge promising they will stay free of any form of tobacco products consumption and try to stay away from second hand smoke.
Giveaways - Latino connection gives away some cool goodies such as facemasks, hand sanitizer, water containers and sunglasses sent to the school.
Raffle - Teens are incentivized to participate in a raffle for a special gift.
"It's been a rewarding experience getting our team out there to the field to share these resources and information to a community that really needs it. We've personally witnessed how thankful kids and parents are to see there are people and entities who actually care for their health and are willing to reach out to them spreading the word." Nelson Mena concluded.
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DO IT FOR THEM CAMPAIGN
Article by Devin Yeatter, Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center’s Health Outreach Coordinator, Devin Yeatter, was excited to give a presentation to Harry S. Truman High School’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) in Levittown. The visit was held on November 3, 2021.
Devin engaged with students on the dangers and prevalence of LGBTQ+ tobacco usage and provided them with resources for quitting. The group was grateful to host in-person guest speakers again, as these opportunities had been limited to virtual programming over the last year. Devin and the Truman High School GSA will reconnect again in the spring with an eye towards helping to facilitate student participation in 2022’s Day at the Capitol event!
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YMCA Healthy Equity Tour...
And Away We Go
Article by Eric Rothermel, Harrisburg Area YMCA
The River Valley Regional Lock Haven YMCA hosted the Harrisburg YMCA staff, for a Health Equity Tour event Thursday, October 21st. The American Lung Association, Health Promotion Specialist's Meredith Bigger was able to join the YMCA & PENNIE Health Equity Tour in Lock Haven. The tour’s purpose is to provide health related resources to 67 counties across Pennsylvania.
Lock Haven is the 42nd stop this year on the group’s tour, as they continue to spread health awareness throughout the state. You can view an article online by The Express paper covering the event. For more details about attending a tour stop near you or how you can participate, please contact the Harrisburg Area YMCA.
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