About STQP The St Joseph County Tobacco Quit Project
Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) of St. Joseph County is the area lead agency selected to oversee the implementation of tobacco prevention and cessation related activities of the STQP coalition. HCI has received funding from the Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency (ITPC) www.in.gov/itpc since 2002. Funding to ITPC was made available through the Master Settlement Agreement between 46 state attorneys general and the tobacco industry.
The mission of HCI is to improve the health and quality of life of citizens of St. Joseph County. More specific to the STQP tobacco initiative, the mission is to create a culture within the community where the use of tobacco is no longer socially acceptable behavior.
Tobacco related statistics for Indiana residents are alarming:- Indiana ranks 6th highest in smoking in US
- Tobacco kill approximately 10,000 Hoosiers every year.
- 27 Hoosiers die every day from tobacco-related illnesses.
- Over 40% of 12th graders currently smoke.
- 57% of infants born in Indiana went home to smoke-filled environments.
- Smoking costs every man, woman, and child in Indiana $548 per year for health-related costs.
- 15.1% of pregnant women in St. Joseph County smoke cigarettes (Indiana ranks 12th highest in infant mortality).
As the lead agency, HCI will coordinate a network of volunteers and staff to shift social norms and eliminate the tobacco industry's influence through advocacy and social and policy change. The funding will be used to implement a comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation program for St. Joseph County.
Residents of the county will notice an increased amount of advertisement and publicity to increase awareness regarding local tobacco activities and deceptive tobacco industry practices.
The program has four essential components:- Building Strong Communities Based Partnerships, including Diverse Partnerships
- Protecting Hoosiers from Environment Tobacco Smoke
- Reduce Youth Initiation to Tobacco
- Promoting and Using Cessation Resources
A majority of the funding received by HCI will be returned to the community to fund prevention and cessation activities. Numerous programs have been awarded funding. Examples of programs include adult cessation programs, youth prevention programs, smoking cessation among pregnant women programs, and local surveys of restaurants, day care centers, and outdoor entertainment areas.
If you have questions regarding community funding, please contact Kimberlie Warren, Director St. Joe County Tobacco Quit @ 239.8585 ext. 317 or email Kimberlie.