FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Edwin Chandrasekar (312) 372-7070 Ext. 223
edwin@asianhealth.org
Asian Health Coalition and Partners Celebrate the 36th Great American Smokeout
CHICAGO – The Asian Health Coalition (AHC) along with its partners from the Chinese American Service League (CASL), Project Vision (PV) and Coalition for Asian Substance Abuse Prevention (CASAP) joined forces to host a series of events designed to educate the Chinatown community on free, local smoking cessation resources leading up to the “Great American Smokeout” taking place on November 17.
The “Great American Smokeout” is a day of advocacy and awareness that has been observed on the third Thursday of November since 1977, which is also Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and reflects on the adverse health effects of smoking, which causes over 80% of lung cancer deaths in the United States each year.
The collaborating agencies have been actively working in the Chinatown neighborhoods of Armour Square and Bridgeport as part of a bold, multi-strategy effort since 2010 to increase awareness, prevent tobacco use, and remove the cultural and linguistic barriers to seeking treatment in light of the high rates of smoking among the Chinese-American community.
In recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month and the “Great American Smokeout,” the following special events and projects taking place are:
- Hard-hitting media campaign posters targeting both youth and adults to be distributed throughout Chinatown in November (visit www.asianhealth.org to see the posters)
- Youth-developed social media video by AHC and PV regarding peer pressure and tobacco use among Chinese youth to be launched on PV’s website (www.projectvisionchicago.org) and social media pages on November 17.
- In addition, a celebration of CASL’s completion of its highly successful second Chinese-language Courage to Quit smoking cessation class was held on Nov 4 (see picture insert). The next Courage to Quit program will begin in January 2012.
These smoking prevention and cessation initiatives are supported in part by the Chicago Tobacco Prevention Project and the Illinois Department of Public Health. For more information on smoking prevention and cessation programs available in Chinatown, please contact Tabitha Mui at (312)791-0418 Ext. 1174 or tabitha_mui@caslservice.org.
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Asian Health Coalition: Established in 1996, the Asian Health Coalition is a 501(c)3 non-profit with a mission to improve the health and wellness of the Asian American community through advocacy, technical assistance, community-based education and research. To learn more, visit www.asianhealth.org Coalition for Asian Substance Abuse Prevention (CASAP): The Asian Health Coalition and Chinese American Service League are leading members of CASAP. CASAP was formed in 2008 and comprises civic leaders and organizations representing 12 sectors of the Chinatown community with a mission to prevent substance abuse in Chinatown through capacity building, strategic planning, and implementing culturally appropriate prevention strategies for awareness, advocacy, and education.. Visit casapil.com for a list of partners and activities. Chicago Tobacco Prevention Project: As the delegate agency for the Chicago Department of Public Health, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago oversees the Chicago Tobacco Prevention Project. Funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control, the comprehensive program includes hard-hitting media, outreach to vulnerable population groups, and policy efforts that reduce exposure to secondhand smoke. To learn more, visit www.lungchicago.org/ctpp.
