Agenda - 03-05-2003 - 9c - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 5, 2003 Action Agenda Item No._ SUBJECT: Youth Tobacco Prevention Project Grant Acceptance DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Health and Wellness Trust Fund Grant Application for Community /School Prevention Programs Letter of Award from Beverly Perdue Reyised Budget Grant Agreement INFORMATION CONTACT: Rosemary Summers, ext 2411 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732 -8181 Chapel Hill 968 -4501 Durham 688 -7331 Mebane 336- 227 -2031 PURPOSE: To consider accepting the funds from the Health and Wellness Trust Fund in the amount of $232,848 for the Youth Tobacco Prevention Project and to establish a new grant funded Senior Public Health Educator position to serve as the Project Manager. BACKGROUND: One of the priorities identified as a result of the Orange County Healthy Carolinians priority setting process in 1996 was to reduce the rate of tobacco use by Orange County residents. Research has shown that the earlier one starts using tobacco products, the more difficult it is for them to stop. Each year, 24,090 children (66 per day) in North Carolina start smoking. The use of tobacco products costs the State $4.75 billion in medical costs and lost productivity annually. The following statistics show that this is an important problem for Orange County as well. • 12% of Orange County Schools' 8th graders that were surveyed reported they had smoked in the last 30 days; Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) reported 3 %. 24% of 9th graders surveyed reported smoking in the last 30 days in Orange County Schools (OCS); Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools reported 20% of 10th graders smoking. • 17% of Orange County Schools' 9th graders report that they had tried to quit within the past year; 10% of 10th graders in Chapel Hill Carrboro had attempted to quit. • 27 middle and high school students were suspended for violating the school board policy on tobacco use in Orange County Schools. Tobacco use is one of the primary preventable causes of cancer and cardiovascular disease (heart disease). About 200 people die from cancer each year in Orange County and another 400 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in this County alone. 160 people die from heart disease each year and more than 860 people are hospitalized each year for heart- related conditions. Statistics over the last eight years show that the County has made little progress in improving these numbers.