Fairfield JEL students at the Kids Day Parade, September 19

We need your input!
Please attend the Tobacco-Free Coalition meeting in your county in November. Help us make a difference in the community by offering your advice and energy. We want to move ahead with come great projects in the coming months with your help.

Sigourney: Tuesday, November 3, Noon, Keokuk County Extension office, 102 E Washington St.

Fairfield: Thursday, November 5, Jefferson County Public Health office, 200 E Briggs Ave.  

Quit Smoking Clinic starts November 10 in Sigourney
A free four-session class entitled “Beyond Tobacco” will be held at Keokuk County Health Center Conference Room on consecutive Tuesdays, starting November 10 at 7:30 p.m. During the classes participants set a “quit date” and prepare for it by studying their habit and practicing alternatives to tobacco use. Past courses have seen up to a 70% quit rate at the end of the 14-week program.

Quit Smoking Medication Available at No Charge
Quit smoking medication can be expensive, but some health plans cover the cost of medications such as Chantix and Buproprion (Zyban) for their members. Fourteen area employers sponsor the medication as a benefit for their employees who want to quit. For everyone else, a program sponsored by the Iowa Department of Public Health and offered by River Hills Community Health Center in Richland supplies this medication at no charge. The Iowa Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) also offers free medication including nicotine patches and gum as well as counseling.

JEL Members Start the School Year with a Bang
At least 10 young people at each high school and middle school in Jefferson and Keokuk Counties have joined forces to take a stand against Big Tobacco at their schools. Their collective activities to educate their peers and the public at large have included decorating floats in 4 area parades with tobacco fact messages, manned information stands at schools and fairs, spelled out “Tobacco Kills” on two school fences, and put tobacco fact stickers on popcorn bags sold at the schools. They also generated 4 news articles and spoke on KMCD Radio Spotlight Show in Fairfield.