Mark A. McDonnell, RS, MS, Health Commissioner

Robert P. Dillaplain, MD, Medical Director

News Release

For Immediate Release Contact: Sara T. Pappa, Public Information Officer

June 19, 2008 (937) 374-5662 or toll-free at 1(866) 858-3588

Greene County Combined Health District to Continue

STOP and Tobacco-Free Healthy Communities Coalition

(Xenia, OH) The Greene County Board of Health voted on June 5, 2008 to continue funding the Stop Tobacco On-site Program (STOP) and the Tobacco-Free Healthy Communities Coalition despite the recent elimination of tobacco prevention dollars from the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation. On May 6, 2008 Governor Ted Strickland signed into law Substitute House Bill 544 which abolished the Foundation. The Ohio Department of Health may receive some of the remaining Foundation funds, but there is no guarantee at this time.

Greene County Health Commissioner, Mark A. McDonnell, stated that, “this is an important step to continuing our efforts to reduce the economic and health costs of tobacco use in Ohio. The Greene County Board of Health realizes that our work in this area is not over and that programs must continue, despite the loss of funding at the state level.”

The STOP program is a comprehensive tobacco cessation program offered at work, faith based and community sites. STOP counselors provide participants with an individually tailored program based on the physical and social aspects of nicotine addiction. All STOP counselors are Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists through the Mayo Clinic.

The Coalition, serving the Counties of Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Fayette, Greene, Madison and Warren, works to reduce tobacco use among all populations. The Greene County Combined Health District will be hosting the quarterly Tobacco-Free Healthy Communities Coalition on Monday, July 28, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will take place at the Herman Menapace Health Education Center at Greene Memorial Hospital, 1141 N. Monroe Dr., Xenia. This meeting is open to anyone interested in tobacco use prevention and control. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

For more information, please contact Project Coordinator Bruce Barcelo at (937) 374-5656 or bbarcelo@gcchd.org.

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