Tobacco Documents Online

300 North Avenue. East Westfield. New Jersey 07090 201 /233-8810 °01/233-8892 (V/TDD) Union County Council on Alcoholism June 1, 1990 he Lorraine Kowalski, Health Educator Visiting Nurse and Health Services 354 Union Avenue Elizabeth, NJ 07208 Dear Ms. Kovalaki: Pro-ulc•nt ( hac I.•-Ji !:c•k hner Trea.ur c•r l{'illaamAf .9iclta ell IJ I at•rretar} Rarlcara (yranal F:-wt utne Direttnr (.tAdt. Keacn. The Union County Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Addictions, Inc. is pleased indeed to see the Visiting Nurse and Health Services taking the initiative in becoming the lead agency for Union and Essex Counties in the American Stop Smoking Intervention Study (ASSIST) for cancer prevention. Review of the literature points out several prime concerns for those of us working toward the prevention of addiction to mood altering drugs: .40 -"Nicotine," according to John Slade, P[.D. of the UHDHJ, and a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, "...use clusters at the earliest tage of drug probletas." It is a gateway drug, *... whose use commonly precedes the use of other drugs.* - The increased carcinogenic effect of regular tobacco use in concert with alcohol dependency has been noted repeatedly in the alcoholism literature. We look forward to working in cooperation with your agency. Toward that end, I have enclosed a copy of the Council's 1990 Summer Institute brochure. You will note that Dr. Slade is conducting a six hour certified course, for the Institute, "Tobscco in Chemical Dependency: A Chemical Collusion," on Wednesday, July 11. I an pleased to offer the opportunity to you to attend as a guest of the Council. N ~ Sincerely yours, ~ Gladys Kearns, MA, CAC '~ Executive Director ~ GK:nm ,~ pc: John Slade, ![.D., F.A.C.P T~.