McMinn County to Receive $51,611 in Funding to Reduce Tobacco Use
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Department of Health Deputy Commissioner Eugene Neubert will join other state and local officials on Wednesday, April 30, at the McMinn County Health Department in Athens to present $51,611 in funding as part of the Tennessee Tobacco Settlement Program.
Each county in Tennessee will receive funding during this three-year program to reduce the burden of tobacco use in the state. All counties are challenged to set goals and select one or more projects that address three topics: eliminating smoking during pregnancy; reducing infants’ and children’s exposure to second-hand smoke; and preventing child and adolescent tobacco use. McMinn County will implement first-year projects targeting smoking during pregnancy and preventing child and adolescent tobacco use.
Funding from the Tobacco Settlement was provided to the Tennessee Department of Health for fiscal years 2014-16 to address the state’s high rate of tobacco use and prevent expensive related medical costs. The plan to distribute $15 million over three years has been generated with input from all 95 counties. This plan includes a variety of projects to target behaviors designed to protect the health of Tennessee’s most vulnerable populations: unborn babies, pregnant women and children.
Who: Eugene Neubert, Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Tennessee Department of Health
Glenn Czarnecki, MPA, Southeast Regional Director, Tennessee Department of Health
Jeannie Bentley, McMinn County Health Director, Tennessee Department of Health
John Gentry, McMinn County Mayor
Rep. John Forgety, District 23
What: Presentation of Tennessee Tobacco Settlement Program funding
When: Wednesday, April 30, 10 a.m. EDT
Where: McMinn County Health Department
393 County Rd. 554
Athens, Tennessee 37303
MEDIA CONTACTS: Shelley Walker, 615-253-5184 or Shelley.Walker@tn.gov, or Beth Delaney, 423-634-1947 or Susan.Delaney@tn.gov.