The state’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, a national leader in fighting tobacco use, will take part in an international workshop on effective prevention strategies.
Terry Reid, the program’s director since March 2001, will represent the Department of Health at the World Health Organization (WHO) event in Tunis, Tunisia on November 13 and 14. The group will work on tobacco control measures for use by countries around the world.
“This is a real honor for our state and our Tobacco Prevention and Control Program,” said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky. “Since the program began, adult smoking is down by 30 percent, youth smoking has dropped by about half, and we’ve implemented one of the most comprehensive smoke-free indoor air laws in the country. The invitation is a tribute to Terry’s leadership. Improving the health of our state’s people is the real payoff.”
The meetings in Tunisia bring together WHO representatives and select managers of national tobacco control programs. Reid is the only person from the U.S. who has been invited.
“I’m proud of the effective tobacco prevention and control model we’ve deveoped and the difference it has made in our state,” said Reid. “It’s a testament to the daily efforts of state and local tobacco prevention specialists throughout Washington. Their dedication has helped save our state thousands of lives and billions in future health care costs. I’m delighted to share with an international audience how we’ve achieved those successes.”
“Washington has long been a national leader in tobacco prevention and control,” said Matthew L. Myers, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “For the last nine years, the program has implemented a comprehensive effort to help adults quit, prevent youth from starting, and protect people from secondhand smoke, which produced dramatic results.”
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