For people who smoke, “there’s never been a better time to quit” as the contest will offer cash prizes totaling $5,000, including a top prize of $2,500.

            Once the winner is determined, the prizes will be awarded later this fall. To sign up locally for the contest, people can visit any one of the following locations: Wishard Health Services, HealthNet, Inc. clinics, IU School of Dentistry, St. Francis Hospital, Minority Health Coalition of Marion County and at the Marion County Health Department.  The contest comes at an important time, as cigarette consumption in the state of Indiana is down significantly.

            In July 2007, a law was passed raising Indiana’s tobacco tax by 44 cents from 55 ½ cents to 99 ½ cents. Since that time, cigarette consumption in Indiana has dropped by 17.8 percent.  This progress is important, especially in light of the fact that the tobacco industry spends $425 million to promote its products in Indiana. It demonstrates that the money Indiana is spending in helping people quit smoking is having a positive impact. 

            “There has never been a better time to quit”, said Patrice Adams, Chair of Smoke Free Indy “Our local coalition is ready to help every Hoosier in our county who wants to quit to be successful.”  In order to enter the contest, you must be at least 18 years of age and pledge to stop using tobacco between September 15, 2008 and October 15, 2008.  All “Quit 2 Win” must be received by September 1^st. A winner will be drawn at random and tested to make sure they are tobacco-free. Cash prizes of $1,500 and $1,000, respectively, will be awarded to the second-place and third-place finishers.   

            To enter online, simply visit the INShape Indiana Web site at www.inshape.IN.gov and click on the “Quit 2 Win” icon. Hoosiers interested in signing up for the contest can also enter in person by filling out an entry card at various fairs and festivals throughout the state, as well as at concerts at the WhiteLies tv Lawn at White River State Park and Indiana Black Expo’s “Summer Celebration”.    

Guidelines Provide Further Direction For Quitting 

            The PHS guidelines included 10 key recommendations: 

• Tobacco dependence is a chronic disease that often requires repeated intervention and multiple attempts to quit.  Effective treatments exist, however, that can significantly increase rates of long-term abstinence.

·         It is essential that clinicians and health care delivery systems consistently identify and document tobacco use status and treat every tobacco user seen in a health care setting.·         Tobacco dependence treatment is effective across a broad range of populations.  Clinicians should encourage every patient willing to make a quit attempt to use the counseling treatments and medications recommended in the Guideline.·         Clinicians should offer every patient who uses tobacco at least the brief treatments shown to be effective in the new Guideline.·         Individual, group and telephone counseling are effective, and their effectiveness increases with treatment intensity.   Two components of counseling are especially effective, and clinicians should use these when counseling patients making a quit attempt:  1) Practical counseling (problem solving/skills training) and 2) Social support delivered as part of the treatment.·         Numerous effective medications are available for tobacco dependence and clinicians should encourage their use by all patients attempting to quit smoking except when medically contraindicated or with specific populations which there is insufficient evidence of effectiveness.  There are seven first-line medications available that reliably increase long-term smoking abstinence rates.·         Counseling and medication are effective when used by themselves for treating tobacco dependence.  The combination of counseling and medication, however, is more effective than either alone.  Thus, clinicians should encourage all individuals making a quit attempt to use both counseling and medication.·         Telephone quitting counseling (1-800-Quit-Now) is effective with diverse populations has broad reach.  Therefore, both clinicians and health care delivery systems should ensure patient access to quitlines and promote quitline use.·         If a tobacco user currently is unwilling to make a quit attempt, clinicians should use the motivations treatments who in the Guideline to be effective in increasing future quit attempts.·         Tobacco dependence treatments are both clinically effective and highly cost-effective relative to interventions for other clinical disorders.  Providing coverage for these treatments increases quit rates.  Insurers and purchasers should ensure that all insurance plans including the counseling and medication identified as effective as covered benefits.For health care providers who would like a Tobacco Cessation Kit to assist them in providing resources to their patients who are ready to quit can call (317) 234-1787 or send an e-mail to: itpcquitpacket@itpc.in.gov.* * *For more information regarding the free Indiana Tobacco Quitline, call toll-free 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669). The service is free to anyone 18 years and older and an

Skatepark Jam is an amateur skateboard competition for beginner through advance skill levels. Participants  compete for prizes and awards on a 15,000 square foot concrete bowl that is a street oriented course and includes a five sided transition pyramid, tons of bank, ledges, walls, a few rails and smooth flowing lines. Skateparkjam.com is your source for all the latest info and news for the Tom Wood Scion Skatepark Jam. For more information visit www.skateparkjam.com.

If a premier musical event, like Indy Jazz Fest, that will host nearly 20,000 people can go entirely smoke-free, then why can’t all entertainment venues become smoke-free? 

Making it smoke-free sends the right message to attendees and the artists that Indianapolis takes it’s cultural events seriously.  WhiteLies.tv (Indiana’s anti-tobacco campaign) is sponsoring the main stage and worked with Indy Jazz Fest to make this possible.

Indy Jazz Fest Lineup 

FRIDAY, JUNE 13
Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving Stage
6:45–7:45 Bettye LaVette
9:00–9:30 Claude Sifferlin Trio

WhiteLies.tv Stage
6:15–6:45 Mike Milligan and Steam Shovel
7:45–9:00 Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood
9:30–10:30 Buddy Guy

SATURDAY, JUNE 14
Gates open at 3:00 p.m.
Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving Stage
3:15–4:15 Stephanie Browning Quartet
5:15–6:15 Dan Tepfer Trio
7:15–7:45 Cynthia Layne
9:00–9:30 Melvin Rhyne

WhiteLies.tv Stage
4:15–5:15 Jerry Gonzalez & the Fort Apache Band
6:15–7:15 Freddie Hubbard
7:45–9:00 Dave Koz
9:30–11:00 John Legend

SUNDAY, JUNE 15
Gates open at 3:00 p.m.
Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving Stage
4:00–5:00 Robin McKelle
5:00–6:00 Aaron Parks Quartet

WhiteLies.tv Stage
3:15–4:00 TBD
6:00–9:00 Legends of Jazz Tour Sponsored by AARP
6:00–7:00 Ramsey Lewis
7:00–8:00 Paquito D’Rivera
8:00–9:00 Fourplay

All artists and times are subject to change

A poll released on January 22, 2008 found that voters from across Indiana support a statewide law prohibiting smoking inside all workplaces, including restaurants, bars and casinos. 

By a strong majority (59 percent to 39 percent), Hoosier voters support a law prohibiting smoking “in indoor public places, including workplaces, public buildings, offices, casinos, restaurants and bars.” This support comes from a broad-based group of voters across the state, including a majority of Liberals, Conservatives and Moderates. Nearly half of all voters (47 percent) strongly favor such a law…  Indiana Smoke Free Air Opinion Poll Press Release January 2008

The study, published in the latest Journal of Drug Education, was the first to examine the effect of public smoking bans on heart attacks in non-smokers. Previous studies did not distinguish between non-smokers and smokers when examining the effect of the bans or specifically look at non-smokers who had no risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or previous heart surgery.

Researchers examined hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Monroe County, Ind., and Delaware County, Ind..  The study compared the two counties in addition to analyzing the 35,482 hospital admissions in Monroe county 22 months before and 22 months after the initial smoking ban was adopted. In Monroe County, there was a 70 percent drop in the number of hospital admissions for AMI among non-smoking patients with no history of heart disease, compared to an 11 percent drop in Delaware County. This translates into a 59 percent net decrease in the number of non-smoking patient admissions for heart attacks after the Monroe County public smoking ban was enforced

When you are there please remember to make Smoke Free Indy one of your friends!