Tobacco Prevention & Intervention Program
:APIA’s Tobacco Prevention & Control Program provides community education regarding the health risks of tobacco use and provides a connection to services and resources for quitting tobacco. Resources include counseling and access to nicotine replacement therapies such as patches and gum. APIA has Tobacco Treatment Specialists available for individual and group counseling. These resources are available to help you when you are ready to quit.
Tobacco Prevention Public Service Announcements
Here in Alaska, one in four adults smoke, one in five use smokeless tobacco, and one in seven use e-cigarettes. But, did you know that smoking is the leading preventable cause of death? To learn more, please take a look at the video.
This is a diseased lung caused by emphysema and cancer. The deadly tar represents the lung of a person who never smoked a cigarette. This lung shows the devastating effects on a nonsmoker who was exposed to secondhand smoke for 5 years. To learn more, please take a look at the video.
APIA and the City of Unalaska want to promote healthy living by discouraging the use of tobacco products. The City Council approved a tobacco tax increase which creates revenue to fund community programs for public health and tobacco education and cessation. To learn more, please take a look at the video.
Did you know that tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death? More than 700 adults die from tobacco-related diseases each year in Alaska. To learn more, please take a look at the video.
APIA Community Health Advocates are available to see patients that are ready to quit tobacco use and support them along their way in becoming tobacco-free. To learn more, please take a look at this video.
Current Services and Projects:
- Support efforts in Unalaska to increase local taxes on tobacco products
- Support tobacco-free K-12 schools. Support implementation and enforcement of tobacco-free schools district wide that are consistent with Alaska’s Tobacco-Free Schools Policy Recommendations. This may include promoting standardized, evidence-based tobacco prevention curriculum within school districts, assisting with the development of supportive interventions, and supporting participation in school-based youth surveys.
- Smoke-free organizations/events-Work with organization to implement and enforce tobacco-free campuses and/or events.
- Promote public awareness regarding the health benefits of tobacco cessation and resources for tobacco cessation, including Alaska’s Tobacco Quit Line and other local resources
- Engage healthcare systems to implement tobacco control policies consistent with the U. S Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guidelines for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, including working with systems to ask, advise, refer, and document tobacco use and follow-up while minimizing barriers to treatment
- Work to promote tobacco-free tribal communities to implement tobacco-free campus policies
Resources
APIA Tobacco Treatment Specialists Counselors are staff who help and support people trying to quit using tobacco in our region:
- Anchorage: Rosemarie Savage-Cook (907) 276-2700
- Nikolski: Tasha Hillhouse (907) 576-2204
- Unalaska: June McGlashan-Shabolin, Delta Bedard or Jeni DeSmith (907) 581-2742
- Atka: Millie Prokopeuff (907) 839-2232
- St. George: Lori Jackson, Melanie Prokopiof or Barbra Keller (907) 859-2254
- Alaska Tobacco Quit Line: 1-800-QUIT-NOW or click here to connect to Alaska’s Tobacco Quitline
- Southcentral Foundation Quit Tobacco Program (907) 729-2689
- Please click Smoking Facts 2019 to view the 2019 Tobacco Infographic “Smoking Facts”
Note: Check with your employer, as many employer’s insurance plans cover tobacco cessation services.
Contact Information: Caroline Nevak, Tobacco Prevention Coordinator (907) 222-4237, carolinen@apiai.org
APIA Tobacco Free Campus
Press play to find out why APIA staff think the tobacco free campus policy is a positive move towards wellness.
Results from an all-staff survey showed that there is strong support for APIA’s tobacco-free campus and that implementation has been successful!
APIA Youth Digital Storytelling
The digital stories were created during the Youth Digital Storytelling Workshop in Unalaska from April 16-19, 2019. The three digital stories are currently being played on our APIA Facebook Page and our APIA Instagram Youth Program.
Tristen’s Digital Story
Makarius’ Digital Story
Colin’s Digital Story
Resources
- Facebook.com/APIA/
- Instagram #apiayouth or #apiayouthprogramservices
- The Cost of Smoking & Tobacco Use and Benefits of Quitting: https://www.moneygeek.com/insurance/health/smoking-and-tobacco-cessation-benefits/
Contact Information: Caroline Nevak, Tobacco Prevention Coordinator (907) 222-4237, carolinen@apiai.org or Amy Carlough, Youth Program Coordinator, at (907) 222-4242, amyc@apiai.org
Tobacco-Free Alaska
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services/Division of Public Health
http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Chronic/Pages/Tobacco/TobaccoFreeAlaska/default.aspx
http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Chronic/Documents/Tobacco/PDF/2018_AKTobaccoFacts.pdf
http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Chronic/Pages/Tobacco/TobaccoFreeAlaska/tobaccofree.aspx#work