Tobacco Documents Online

30 THE RESPIRATORY HEALTH ASSOCIATION The Respiratory Health Association (RHA) is a voluntary, not for profit health agency serving the community for 85 years. Our goal is to promote respiratory health and prevent and control respiratory disease. The organization, governed by a voluntary Board of Trustees, has four classes of members: regular, corporate, sustaining and honorary as defined in the bylaws. Members of a program and medical committee function as an advisory group for the educational and preventive services related to smoking and chronic lung diseases. Our program staff has extensive experience with a range of approaches to smoking prevention and cessation. including formal classes, clinics, individual counseling and the first smoke free maintenance support group in New Jersey. Programs are offered in community and corporate settings. Our success rate is over 50% for both quitting and remaining smoke free. As active participants in the Paterson, New Jersey COMMIT Project and on the Governor's Commission for Smoking or Health, The Respiratory Health Association considers this serious public health issue a primary agency responsibility. We will continue our coordinated planning and implementation activities with the other coalition members while expanding intervention efforts through the ASSIST Project. The present RHA contacts, including corporations, community organizations such as the YW and YMCA's, school faculty and student populations, other health and social service agencies, will be used to reach and promote prevention and control programs especially for the specific target groups. The Respiratory Health Association will consider appropriate in- kind and possible direct support contributions as needed in order to achieve the Project's goal.