Federal grant announced today to support tobacco-free initiatives in Linn County

Tobacco prevention and cessation will be targeted with a $2 million grant that Linn County Public Health received from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Ringgold County also received part of the total $3.2 million awarded through the

Communities Putting Prevention to Work federal stimulus program.

In Linn County, director Curtis Dickson said the grant will fund 15 public health positions to work on making school districts completely tobacco free and other initiatives.

“There are many different options we can look at aimed at prevention and cessation,” he said.

Dickson said preventing tobacco sales at pharmacies is one of those options being examined.

The grant will to also go to increasing the number of Linn County businesses with 100 percent tobacco-free policies; education for local policy makers and providing tobacco cessation counseling, referral, and nicotine replacement therapy to Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) clients.

After the two years of funding ends, Dickson said he hopes Congress will continue funding for programs that have been successful.

Ringgold County will target programs to decrease the health effects of tobacco in low-income, rural areas.

That includes promotion of cessation services, reduction of smoking in homes and vehicles and supporting the elimination of free tobacco sampling on the county fairgrounds property.