Articles
From the November 2005 Edition of the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce Progress Newsletter.
Meet the Aberdeen Tobacco Prevention Coalition
By: Ashley Seeklander and Jordan Palmer
The Aberdeen Tobacco Prevention Coalition began in 2003. Our purpose is to educate the community about tobacco and to work with Aberdeen schools on tobacco prevention; this also includes Northern State University and Presentation College. Counter-marketing advertisements done by tobacco companies is also a large part of what we do. There have been ads in the Aberdeen American News, NSU Exponent, and fliers and posters hung on NSU’s campus, which all have promoted tobacco awareness and/or tobacco cessation. Deb Walker, Director of the NSU Counseling Center, is the Coalition Manager.
For the past two years Jordan Palmer has been the Coalition’s Coordinator. This year Ashley Seeklander joins the Coalition as the new Coordinator. Our Coalition is made up of thirty-eight members from Presentation College, Avera St. Luke’s, Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, Aberdeen Police Department, Prairieview Prevention, and NSU students, just to name a few. Meetings are held monthly in the NSU Student Center. If you would like to attend one of our meetings please contact Ashley Seeklander (626-2371). ATPC has been working on activities such as the Great American Smokeout, which is held the third Thursday of November, and will be celebrating Kick Butts Day, April 05, 2006.
We have been working with the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce Healthcare Committee on educating businesses about tobacco use. Also this year we helped to bring in Ray Lozano, a nationally known tobacco prevention speaker, to Aberdeen to talk with youth about not smoking. Along with working with the Chamber we also are providing the Chamber’s Newsletter, The Progress, with monthly articles about tobacco prevention. All our funding is secured through a federal grant. Each year our coalition must reapply for the grant in order to receive funding for the next year, from the SD DOH.
