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

Browse Search

22 Adolescent Parenting Program Orange County Department of Social Services P.O. Box 8181, 300 W. Tryon Street Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 2501 Homestead Road Chapel Hill, NC 27514 REC�C) hone p� 9�g_q.5Q1 y67 wo n s oroou Mee 732 -93bI; 732- $ Chapel Hill Office 968 -2000 To: The Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission From: Valerie C. Russell, Coordinator, Adolescent Parenting Program Date: October 29, 2002 Re: Letter of Support for Community School Tobacco Prevention Program I am writing in support of Orange County's application for the Community School Tobacco Prevention Program grant. As a member of the Healthy Carolinians Committee of Orange County, and a co -chair of the Voices for Healthy Adolescent Choices sub- committee, I have the opportunity to meet regularly with colleagues who see the great need to provide additional smoking prevention and cessation resources to our youth. In my professional role, as the Coordinator for Adolescent Parenting with the Department of Social Services, I work with teen parents who often live-in environments in which second -hand smoke is a factor. While not many of our teen moms currently are smokers, many do find themselves living.with family members who are habitual smokers. The babies of these teens are therefore continually exposed to the harmful effects of second hand smoke, and we find respiratory illnesses and colds to be a factor these young people contend with more often. Our program would like to work with Healthy Carolinians, and both school systems in our area to support the broad efforts of this proposed tobacco prevention program. We would also look forward to providing particular services to the teen parents in our program.. These services would include materials, education, and skill- building around dealing with adult smokers in their households. We foresee empowering the teen parents to not only avoid smoking themselves, but to educate their family members about the importance of clean air in the home for infants and toddlers. Thank you for your interest in this proposal. I fully support the efforts of Healthy Carolinians, the Chapel Hill- Carrboro City Schools and the Orange County Schools in trying to improve smoking prevention and cessation efforts among young people in our community.