Don’t Start Storyboard Contest
The American Lung Association of Alabama, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, the Alabama Department of Education, and the Alabama Department of Public Health tobacco prevention and control program would like your help with an exciting program called the “Don’t Start” Storyboard contest. With your participation in this program we hope to reach over 100,000 students this year.

The “Don’t Start” smoking storyboard contest gives students a chance to use drawing and writing skills to create a story showing why people should never start smoking. The contest is open to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Each grade-level category will have a first, second, and third place finalists and from those finalists, a grand-prize winner will be selected. Prizes will be awarded to all finalists and the grand prize winner will have their artistic creation turned into a Public Service Announcement.

Your willingness to participate in this program can help students learn about the dangers of smoking and why you should never start. The material provided will be a teacher’s packet that will explain the program and give ideas for you to share with the students. We will also include storyboards for all students to participate in the contest.

The contest runs from February – April each year. Please contact us at 1-800-LUNG USA (1-800-586-4872) for more information.


Healthy Lungs Month
The American Lung Association is looking to enlist your help with implementing one of our programs during RED RIBBON WEEK called “Healthy Lungs Month”. Through the years we’ve reached thousands of children with important anti-tobacco messages. With your participation, we hope to reach over 40,000 students this year. Your willingness to share this program can help our students from becoming addicted to their first drug, nicotine. Plus, develop the attitude and skills to remain tobacco free.

Your packet will contain the materials needed to present the program to your class. All materials are free of charge.

The K – 2nd grade materials include:
9 minute video entitled “Octopuff in Kumquat”
Octopuff in Kumquat bookmark for each student
Presenter’s Lesson Plan

The 3rd – 5th grade materials include:
10 minute video – “KATS: Kids Against Tobacco”
Activity sheet for each student
Presenter’s Lesson Plan

The 6th – 8th grade materials include:
20 minute video – “I Can’t Breathe: The Pam Laffin Story”
Activity Sheet for each student
Presenter’s Lesson Plan

Please call 1-800-LUNG USA 1-800-586-4872, if you have any questions, would like to review the materials or need any additional information.


Camp Wheeze Away
Camp WheezeAway-The American Lung Association of Alabama (ALAA) is preparing for its 17th Annual Camp WheezeAway, a FREE 5 day summer camp experience for children ages 8-12 with moderate to severe asthma. This year's session will be held June 28- July 2, 2009 at Camp Chandler in Wetumpka, AL. We are awarding 50 full scholarships to first time campers. Partial scholarships may be available for returning campers. More info...


Open Airways for Schools
The American Lung Association believes that Open Airways for Schools (OAS) can be a vital step in helping to mobilize community response to the needs of children with asthma - in particular, disadvantaged, minority children whose asthma often goes undetected or under-treated. The program teaches children, aged 8 - 11, how to detect the warning signs of asthma, including the environmental factors that can trigger an attack.

It has been proven that children who participate in Open Airways for Schools have fewer and less severe asthma attacks, improve their academic performance, have more confidence in their ability to take more steps to manage their asthma, and exert greater influence on their parents' asthma management decisions.

Open Airways for Schools is an award-winning program. In 1992, it was honored with a Health Education Research Award from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. The program's precursor was developed by the asthma research group at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. In 1987, it was pilot tested and evaluated in 12 New York City schools. The evaluation found that children taking part in this program took more steps to manage their asthma, improve their academic performance, and had fewer and less severe asthma episodes. After completing the program, not only were the children better able to manage their asthma, but their parents reported that they, too, took more steps to help control their children's asthma. This parental involvement is significant because they did not actually participate in the asthma classes with their children; rather, children engaged their parent at home with assignments from asthma classes and effectively influenced their parents. In addition, following the program, the school environment became more supportive: children without asthma were more willing to help children with asthma, and children with asthma were able to empathize and give support to each other.

Open Airways for Schools informs students of the actions they must take to help prevent an asthma attack and empowers them to better Open Airways for Schools informs students of the actions they must take to help prevent an asthma attack and empowers them to better manage their asthma with the assistance of parents, teachers, school nurses, and physicians. This is accomplished through six 40 minute lessons, which are taught by trained volunteers. The interactive approach utilizes group decision, stories, games, and role-play to promote children's active involvement in the learning process.

We need volunteers to train to work with the elementary schools in their area to bring this important educational program. For more information you may contact 1-800-LUNG USA.


Not on Tobacco
Not on Tobacco (N-O-T) is a voluntary school-based tobacco cessation program for teens 14-19 who want to stop smoking. A series of lessons offering very specific help with tough problems like nicotine withdrawal and how to manage its symptoms to prevent relapses, N-O-T also deals with issues that matter to teens, such as how to control weight after quitting and how to cope with friends and family who smoke. The program is gender-specific, since females usually have different reasons for smoking, quitting, and relapsing than males. Two full time coordinators, funded by the Legacy foundation grant, are on staff to train on-site facilitators and to manage and monitor the program.


Freedom From Smoking
Freedom From Smoking is an 8 session program led by experts who understand why people smoke. The program uses a positive behavior change approach that teaches the person how to quit smoking for life. For many smokers a positive environment or group support settings can make all the difference. Members support one another so that everyone may be successful in their journey to stop smoking.

For more information, contact Becky Beemer at (251) 662-3569 or (251) 447-3738 or to receive online help with smoking visit www.ffsonline.org