Tobacco Documents Online

I HEALTH RESEAFdCW AND EDUCATIONAL TRUST OF NEW JERSEY a. _.Center for Health Affairs 760'Alexander Road CN-1 Princeton. New•Jersey 08543-0001 July 23, 1990 William E. Parkin, DVM, Dr.PH. Assistant Carmissi oner Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control New Jersey Department of Health CN 369 Trenton, NJ 08625-0369 Dear Dr. Parkin: t;-09t 275-4000 i;09-, 275-4'.100 REOE)UEII JUL 3j1990 fliV. EPtlC3~Er".SE CO1.TRL'E' On behalf of the Health Research and Educational; Trust of NJ (HRET), I am writing this letter to support the grant application of the New Jersey Department of Health and the New Jersey Division of the American Cancer Society to the National Cancer Institute's American Stop Smoking. Intervention Study (ASSIST) for Cancer Prevention. Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death and disability in. the United States and should be the number one public health issue of our time. There is overwhelming need for the ASSIST project because over 350,000 Americans will die prematurely this year of disease linked' to smoking. The Continuing Education Department of HRET has developed, coordinated and conducted a variety of programs designed to reduce tobacco-related cancer morbidity and mortality In New Jersey. HRET has held educational conferences to promote smoke-free healthcare institutions, i.e., "Smoke-Free Hospital Implementation Clinics," "Nursing Interventions: Clearing The Air With The Smoking Patient," and "Smoke-Free Policy And Interventions For The Psychiatric And Substance Abuse Patient." Most recently, because of the direct aid received from the Statewide Youth Tobacco Use Control Project, HRET has initiated the TOPS (Teens Organized to Prevent Smoking) program. TOPS is a collaborative effort between the Health Research and Educational Trust of NJ, the New Jersey Hospital Association Council on Auxil-iaries' Consumer Health Education and'Junior Volunteer Committees, as well as the New Jersey Association of Directors of Volunteer Services.

Statistics show that 60% of all smokers start by the age of 14, and,are addicted by the age of 19. The purpose of the TOPS program is to train hospital junior volunteers to become anti-smoking leaders. These young "teachers" will go out to community youth organizations to promote non-smoking to pre-teens and adolescents. TOPS will develop a training manual which will be distributed to all hospitals, and conduct a statewide program to introduce and promote this project throughout New Jersey. NRET hopes that with continued support, TOPS will become an on-going program that will result in effectively reducing the number of young smokers in New Jersey. The Department of Health has been instrumental in helping to launch the TOPS program. We know that you will conscientiously carry out the terms of the ASSIST contract, and we will cooperate with you in that effort. We look forward to being part of the coalition formed between the New Jersey Department of Health, the American Cancer Society, and other state and local organizations for the prevention of cancer and elimination of other tobacco-caused disease. Sincerely, Charlene Shapiro Vice President HRET, Educational Services KPS:1cm