N-O-T News

Brought to you by The American Lung Association of West Virginia, the WV Bureau for Public Health Division of Tobacco Prevention, the Governors Safe and Drug Free Communities Program and the West Virginia Department of Education

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Mental Decline; One More Reason!

 

In an article printed in the Morgantown (WV) Dominion-Post on 03/30/04, Study links smoking, decline in cognitive ability, Knight Ridder Newspapers http://www.dominionpost.com/a/news/2004/03/30/ai/

 

MILWAUKEE -- One of the last myths about smoking has been snuffed out by a study showing it accelerates mental decline in older people.

 

For years there had been conflicting information about whether smoking might offer some protection against developing dementia. But a large study in the latest issue of the journal Neurology indicates that smokers had a slow but significant decline in cognitive ability over time.

 

''We know there are lots of bad reasons to smoke, and this is another one,'' said co-author Lenore Launer, chief of neuroepidemiology at the National Institute on Aging.

 

Limited research in the 1990s suggested smoking might offer some protection against developing Alzheimer's disease, but those studies were flawed, Launer said.

 

To find out if there were any protective effect, researchers began following a group of 9,209 people aged 65 and older from several European countries. The study is the largest ever to examine the issue.

 

The subjects were determined to be free of dementia at the start of the study.

 

They were given a mental test at the start and at subsequent times over a two- to three-year period. The test commonly is used to measure cognitive ability and to screen for dementia.

 

Over the course of the study, those who never smoked showed a small, 0.03-point decline per year, a drop that is considered to be the result of normal aging.

 

Just one more reason!

 

 

 

 

N-O-T Clinic Tips

 

Following are frequent questions to possible barriers in implementing N-O-T

 

 

Some students in our school use spit tobacco. Can the N-O-T program help them?

 

N-O-T focuses exclusively on smoking cessation. Researchers find that spit tobacco users are very different from smokers in lifestyle and personality and are primarily male.

They are motivated to use tobacco for reasons that are very different from smokers.

Some young people use cigarettes and spit tobacco. These students would be appropriate candidates for the N-O-T program. See the General Resources section of this guide for more information.

 

Why is the N-O-T program voluntary? Why not make the teens who smoke attend this group?

 

Experience tells us that you cannot force a teen, or an adult for that matter, to quit smoking, or to change any other behavior. To become successful in being tobacco-free, teens must want to quit smoking. However, the American Lung Association does provide a four session Alternative to Suspension program (ATS), for use with students who violate school tobacco-use policies. The ATS program is an educational program offering information on tobacco, addiction, and coping skills. It is not a smoking cessation program. However, it may motivate some students to volunteer for the N-O-T program.

 

 

What is the difference between N-O-T and the Alternative to Suspension program?

 

N-O-T is a voluntary, teen smoking cessation program. Teens choose to participate in N-O-T because they want to quit smoking. The Alternative to Suspension program is a mandatory program for teens who have violated tobacco-use policies in school. Students may opt to attend this program rather than be suspended.

 

My administrator is interested in N-O- T, but says there is no money to put into new programs.

 

N-O-T is a self-contained program which is provided free of charge thanks to American Lung Association of WV and its partners. Providing the space, perhaps providing chart paper and other writing materials might be necessary. If you are interested in offering incentives or food to students who attend N-O-T, please review the incentives section below.

 

Many of our middle school students are smokers. Can this program be adapted to middle school?

 

Many middle school students who smoke are in the experimental stage. N-O-T is designed for regular smokers who are likely to be addicted to nicotine. If your middle school population has students who are regular smokers, we encourage you to adapt the N-O-T program for use with these students.

 

We have block scheduling (an alternative class scheduling that allows for longer class periods) at our high school. Releasing students from 1 1/2 hour class is just not realistic.

 

Students attending the N-O-T program at schools where there is block scheduling are released from class for approximately fifty minutes. Also, the program is scheduled at different times each week so that students will not miss class time from the same class more than once or twice. Another possibility is scheduling N-O-T during lunch hour, so it minimal impact on class attendance.

 

Administrators and teachers are concerned with test scores. Any missed class time might affect those scores.

 

Students who are addicted to tobacco are likely to have cigarettes on their minds even when they are in class. They are also at greater risk for policy violations for other self-destructive and anti-social behavior than non-smokers. N-O-T can help keep students in class and their minds on their work. Students will learn ways to improve their lifestyle, and their communication and decision-making skills – all of which may be reflected in their work. Anecdotal results from the research indicate that some N-O-T graduates improve their grades and increase their attendance.

 

More questions and answers may be found in your N-O-T Manual under the Marketing section.

 

American Lung Association Call Center

When you are looking for answers to your lung health questions, the American Lung Association Call Center will provide you with immediate, clear, and accurate information at no cost. By calling 1-800-548-8252, you will be connected directly to a Registered Nurse/Respiratory Therapist who will take the time to talk with you and help you find the answers that you are looking for.

The Call Center can provide you with comprehensive information on a variety of lung health topics, including:

Lung Cancer                         Asthma                            Allergies         

Emphysema                          Smoking cessation           Environmental health

The Call Center is unique in having professional, credentialed personnel on staff who are qualified to help find answers to your questions. With over 25 years of experience in the health care industry, our staff bring a wealth of knowledge to the Call Center, including expertise in:

Respiratory Therapy                      Nursing                           Respiratory Home Care

Medication Counseling                 Physician Referral           Smoking Cessation

Health Care Insurance                   Medicare/Medicaid

Our resources are continually being updated to insure you receive the most current and accurate information available. Our experienced staff can explain a procedure to you or offer assistance with physician referrals. No matter what your question, we will work with you to find the answer. Our staff is available for immediate telephone consultation to offer advice and information on a variety of lung health topics by calling 1-800-548-8252.

Since the release of the first Surgeon General’s report on smoking and health in the United States in 1964, about 10 million people have died from smoking-related diseases in the United States.

 

Thank you for not standing by while our children become statistics!

I would like to congratulate the following schools for providing the N-O-T program.

 

 

 

 

Statistic Highlights

This percentage decrease translates to 11,393 fewer high school students smoking today as compared to 1999. Good Job Everyone

 

Incentives   

 

Mini-Grants

$50 mini-grants are available to get your groups started.  The mini-grant can be used to purchase pencils, stress balls and most importantly, food!  We have heard many times, “If you feed them, they will come!”  Applying for the mini-grant is easy. 

 

 

N-O-T Stipends

Another positive incentive are the $250 Stipends which are available for facilitators after all evaluation materials have been returned to ALAWV.

 

Student Journals

Program expenses are kept to a minimum since we provide all required hand outs for students in this “journal.” Blank pages are provided for the students to write in.

 

 ATS Stipends

Thanks to a generous grant from the Department of Education Office Of Healthy schools we now have $100 stipends available for facilitators who use the ATS program in their schools.

 

You can find all these resources and more at our web site click here à  N-O-T

Free Technical Assistance! Points of contacts are:

 

N-O-T Program Manager

Tony Richards

American Lung Association of WV

Post Office Box 3980, 415 Dickinson Street

Charleston, West Virginia 25339-3980

tony@alawv.org ; www.alawv.org

(304) 342-6600 or 1-800-LUNG-USA

 

Regional Tobacco Prevention Specialists

 

RESA I: Lori McGraw, (304) 256-4712 x331

RESA II: Sue Niestroy-Wilson, (304) 529-6205

RESA III: Cybele Boehm, (304) 766-7655 x114

RESA IV: Cheri Hall, (304) 872-6440 x19

RESA V: Gus Nelson, (304) 485-6513 x 122

RESA VI: Caryn Puskarich, (304) 231-3816

RESA VII: Jan Nichols, (304) 624-6554

RESA VIII: Donna Kuhn, (304) 257-2641