American Lung Association Working with Tribal Nations to Reduce Tobacco Use and Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

(AUGUSTA, ME) – The American Lung Association is committed to reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, particularly among populations that are disproportionately impacted by tobacco-related health disparities.

To support the American Lung Association in Maine’s targeted efforts to improve health equity, the American Lung Association National Headquarters is providing $120,000 over a 16-month period as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Expanding Smokefree Communities, Community Transformation Grants (CTG) Program.

The state of Maine has made considerable progress toward reducing tobacco use, and recent trends show a continuous decline in prevalence. However, such positive trends mask the substantial burden of tobacco related morbidity and mortality that continues to persist among underserved racial/ethnic minority populations.

The American Lung Association is partnering with all four tribal nations in the state of Maine to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use among tribal members, and their exposure to secondhand smoke. The tribes will implement smokefree policies at tribal events and at locations on the reservations that are used for recreation.

“Tobacco use is the most preventable cause of disease and death worldwide, responsible for 443,000 deaths annually. Furthermore, exposure to secondhand smoke kills an estimated 50,000 Americans, including children, per year. The American Lung Association is committed to reducing the burden of tobacco use on our nation’s health. We are excited for the opportunity to work directly with Maine’s four tribal nations to implement beneficial smokefree policies in the state of Maine,” said Jeff Seyler, President & CEO of the American Lung Association of the Northeast.

In September 2011, the American Lung Association was funded by the National Dissemination and Support Initiative of CDC’s CTG Program. The “Accelerating the Spread and Reach of CTG Strategies in Communities Nationwide” Activity Area involves mobilizing national networks to increase the reach of the CTG program by empowering communities to implement projects proven to reduce chronic diseases.

This project of the American Lung Association in Maine is one of six among five local Lung Associations across the country to receive funding through the CTG Program. The American Lung Association in the Northeast received funding for two different projects; the initiative in Maine, as well as an effort to implement voluntary smokefree policies among low-income housing facilities in the Bronx.
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About the American Lung Association of the Northeast
The American Lung Association of the Northeast is part of the American Lung Association, the oldest voluntary health organization in the U.S. Established in 1904 to combat tuberculosis; our mission today is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. The focus is on air quality, asthma, tobacco control, and all lung disease. The American Lung Association in the Northeast serves CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI and VT. www.LungNE.org