St. Mary's County Health Department Tobacco Use Prevention & Cessation Program

Community

On February 1, 2008 the St. Mary's County Health Department became a smoke-free campus
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, we will sponsor Sterlen Barr's No Puff Daddy performances at the St. Mary's County Relay for Life and the Annual Juneteenth Festival
We advertise our cessation programs through a variety venues such as the local newspaper, Comcast Cable TV, http://www.thebaynet.com/, our health department web page, and signs at local ball fields
Health department program staff conduct tobacco use prevention and secondhand smoke education activities at community events such as:

Health department staff use the Health Connections Mobile Outreach Van to travel throughout the county to provide tobacco use prevention and secondhand smoke education to residents
Four organizations currently receive mini grants to assist with community tobacco use prevention activities. Their activities include:

media literacy for youth
educating parents utilizing the EPA's Smoke Free Homes program
referrals to cessation services using a licensed daycare provider locator service
educating Hispanic/Latino/Spanish residents on the dangers of tobacco use and the need for cessation

In FY 2008, we sponsored illusionist Wayne Alan's Make Smoking Disappear magic shows at 6 Catholic elementary school, 5 public elementary schools, and one public high school
In FY 2008 we sponsored Sterlen Barr's No Puff Daddy performance at St. Mary's Ryken Catholic High School
Health department program staff conduct the following tobacco use prevention activities:

Tobacco Road Show
Tobacco Education Group (TEG) classes for high school students caught smoking at school
Booths and displays at school open houses, health fairs, and fun nights

6 organizations currently receive mini grants to assist with school-based tobacco use prevention activities. Their activities include:

incorporating the Smoke Screamers program into current Boys & Girls Club after school activities
educating students, faculty, and staff at the College of Southern Maryland, Leonardtown Campus
a tobacco use prevention student leadership workshop conducted by the American Lung Association offered to Catholic elementary school students
a tobacco/drug/alcohol use prevention leadership training for high school athletes offered to St. Mary's Ryken Catholic High School students
distribution of the EPA's Smoke Free Homes kits to parents at elementary school PTA meetings and health fairs
educating Head Start students and their parents using the No Puff Pals program

Deputies from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office educate local businesses on the Maryland Youth Tobacco Access Law and how to card. They also conduct underage controlled buy operations for tobacco sales compliance. Those caught selling tobacco to minors receive civil citations. In addition, officers also issue civil citations to underage youth caught using tobacco products.

4 week program
consists of weekly face-to-face meetings and follow-up phone calls
participants can receive Nicoderm patches with medical clearance from their obstetrician

12 week program
participants meet once a week with their Quit Coach
weekly one-on-one meetings are held at the health department on Mondays between the hours of 1-7pm
must be age 18 or older
must have medical clearance and a written prescription to receive Chantix

All of our programs and medications are FREE.