THIRD ROUND OF TOBACCO ACTION GRANTS AWARDED
Eighteen DeKalb County projects funded for $96,000 with Tobacco Settlement Dollars

A portion of Georgia's share of the 1998 Multi-state Tobacco Settlement Agreement is reaching the streets in DeKalb County. The DeKalb County Board of Health's Tobacco Use Prevention Unit awarded over $96,000 to 18 local groups in a third round of Tobacco Action Grants (TAG) to conduct community-based prevention activities. All TAG awards aim to reduce tobacco use among people living in DeKalb County. Twelve of the 18 TAG awards focus on preventing tobacco use among youth.

"Through the TAG program, we are seeing an impact on the community's capacity to conduct tobacco use prevention efforts," said Kathleen Collomb, manager of DeKalb County Board of Health's Tobacco Use Prevention Unit. "It's a great partnership. Past TAG recipients are now some of our most passionate community advocates for tobacco use prevention."

Teams of community volunteers reviewed the 28 applications submitted to the DeKalb Tobacco Use Prevention Unit. The review teams then made funding recommendations to the Prevention Alliance for Tobacco Control and Health (PATCH) executive committee and 18 projects were selected. Projects include activities such as promoting quitting tobacco use through faith organizations, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke in homes, and preventing tobacco use among Latino and other youth.

"TAG has made the difference in the youth we serve through our prevention initiative," said Sandra Steadman, manager, William T. White III Family Resource Center. "Being a TAG recipient has given high-risk youth in the Kirkwood community the opportunity to engage in tobacco prevention activities. Through the Healthier Kids Project, two youth smokers successfully quit after learning of the health risks they faced by smoking."

The following grantees are funded from March 2003 through February 2004: DeKalb County School System (Cedar Grove High School, Robert Shaw Traditional Theme School PTA, Salem Middle School); Health Institute for Preventive Care, Access, Research, and Education; Help the People Program; Israel Missionary Baptist Church Youth Department; Nigerian Youth Alliance; Oakhurst Medical Centers, Inc; Sagal Somali Radio Service; Samuel L. Jones Boys and Girls Club; Soapstone Center for Education and Research; Somali Community Development Organization; SOMOS Educational Group; Total Family and Children Services of Georgia; Walking Together in Sisterhood; Wellness, Inc.; William T. White III Family Resource Center; and Women Watch Afrika, Inc. The grant awards range from $1,000 to $10,000.

For more information on the Tobacco Action Grant activities or on tobacco use prevention efforts in DeKalb County, contact LaTonia McGinnis Thomas, tobacco grant specialist for the DeKalb County Board of Health's Tobacco Use Prevention Unit, at 404-508-7884 or you may visit www.dekalbhealth.net.

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