HPO Receives Tobacco Education Grant

The Health Promotion Office has received a $2,000 grant from the Marquette Community Foundation for its proposal titled “First Thursday: A Tobacco Education Initiative for Our Campus & Our Kids.” The purpose of the grant is to increase awareness of tobacco issues and cessation strategies among college students, and to introduce an NMU student-developed tobacco education module for use in area fifth- through ninth-grade classrooms.

The project consists of two programs. The “First Thursday Campaign” will keep appropriate tobacco-related messages in front of NMU students each week during the winter and fall 2006 semesters. The first Thursday of each month will bring new advertisements in The North Wind student newspaper, monthly table tents and posters, a year-long rotating banner display and other advertisements.

“It is our hope that by sharing the reality of tobacco use, the industry’s effort to engage younger customers, the effects of second-hand smoke, and information about quitting resources and support, we may be able to lower the high smoking misperception rate and the actual smoking rate,” said Lenny Shible (Health Promotion).

The project’s second phase will feature delivery of a PowerPoint-based, Jeopardy-style tobacco quiz bowl developed by an NMU student for use in Marquette area schools. Each participating school will receive the game and a facilitator’s guide so that teachers and students would be able to administer the game in their fifth through ninth grade classrooms. The game will be made available to at least 25 classes this year, reaching 400-500 students.

“This quiz bowl is a fun way to educate students about the harmful effects of tobacco, which in turn may delay or eliminate the onset of smoking for Marquette community youth,” Shible added.

For more information about this project, contact the NMU health promotion office at ext. 1455.