Tobacco Documents Online

STATE OF NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OE EDUCATION CN SOO TRENTON; NJ 0H62S-0500 JOEL oLAOM. ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER May 4, 1990 Mrs. Janice Marshall, Coordinator Smoking and Tobacco Use Control Program Division-of Epidemiology and Disease Control New Jersey State Department of Health University Office Plaza, Q3 369 Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0369 Dear Mrs. Marshall: SAUL COOPERMAN COMMISSIONER In New Jersey tobacco is a leading cause of avoidable illness and death. The economic impact is imnense in terms of money spent in buying tobacco products, health care costs, and. decreased productivity. The New Jersey Department of Bducation supports the New Jersey Department of Health in. its continuing activities to promote the cessation of tobacco use_ The American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST) for Cancer Prevention is needed to identify effective methods of intervention. The organizations completing the study can be relied upon to successfully fulfill the contract. The Department of Education, has included tobacco within the substance abuse education program and in. its guidelines for chemical health education. As tobacco use has declined among all age groups except children, the need remains to improve intervention among adolescents. Data provided by the study will be made available to local school districts to use within•their substance abuse curriculum. The Department of Educa.tiorn in cooperation with the Department of Law and Public Safety conducts a triennial survey of substance use among high school students. Tobacco is included among those substances surveyed. Data is available from the 1980, 1983, and 1986 surveys. The Department of Education will continue to provide representation and support to the Conanission on Smoking OR Health and the ASSIST project. Joel m, Assistant Commissioner Divi i,of General Academic Education JB:TJR:CHT:jcb, c: R. DiPatri N A ~ W Cr? ~ ~ w