Tobacco.org

HHS Prevention and Wellness Initiative, Including Tobacco Control, Is Smart Investment in America's Health 

The Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which includes support for strategies to reduce tobacco use, is a smart investment in the nation's health that will save lives, prevent disease and help reduce health care costs. This investment, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will also create jobs and strengthen the nation's public health infrastructure, which will help build stronger, healthier communities.

The HHS initiative will provide a total of $650 million for evidence-based prevention and wellness strategies that reduce tobacco use, increase physical activity, improve nutrition and decrease obesity. In the first part of this initiative, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that communities and tribes can apply for $373 million in grants to address these public health challenges under the leadership of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

We urge communities and tribes applying for these grants to include evidence-based strategies and programs that are proven to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.

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