Jump to full article: Orlando (FL) Sentinel, 2010-03-20
Author: Fernando Quintero, Orlando Sentinel
Intro: Efforts by health officials to reduce smoking among local residents got a major boost Friday with the announcement of a $6.6 million dollar federal grant.
The Orange County Health Department was awarded the grant - the department's largest ever - to help stop local residents from smoking or prevent them from ever lighting up.
U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin was among those at a press conference Friday at the Orange County Health Department headquarters to announce the award. Orange County was one of three communities connected via satellite to Washington D.C. for the announcement of $372.8 million in grants. They will be awarded to 44 communities to prevent obesity and tobacco use while improving nutrition and increasing physical activity among their residents. . . .
The grant award is part of the Health and Human Services' Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative to combat chronic diseases and promote good health.
"The burden of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, strokes and lung disease threatens to overwhelm our health care systems," said Sherin. "An estimated 81 Floridians die every day due to tobacco-related diseases. The answers in part lie in tobacco prevention programs such as those funded by this grant. Working together as a community we can save lives."
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