By Anna Guido
Enquirer contributor

Smoking rates in Ohio are fifth-highest in the nation, but there's hope that a new community-level effort will change that over the next three years.

The Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation recently awarded $21 million in grants to schools, businesses and community leaders for tobacco cessation and prevention programs.

They will serve youths and adults in parts of Butler and Hamilton counties, including areas where minority populations are growing.

"Tobacco use is a significant health problem confronting the nation and all populations, but it's a cultural phenomenon in high-risk, minority populations,'' said Tom Kelechi, director of the Alcohol and Chemical Abuse Council of Southwest Ohio.

The council, based in Hamilton, was awarded $175,000 each year for the next three years to administer programs through the Butler Tobacco Free Coalition. Kelechi said programs will be age, sex and content appropriate, with a focus on prevention of tobacco use by youth.

"We've already started working at the juvenile justice center with kids whose violations are associated with tobacco use,'' he said.

Beth Schieber, spokesman for the Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation, said the tobacco cessation and prevention program grants were awarded to 44 of 160 applicants in Ohio. The money is part of the national tobacco settlement.

This year's grants are the second round since the foundation was created in 2000. All 88 counties in Ohio now have funding to launch programs designed to prevent youth tobacco use, reduce adult tobacco use and limit exposure to tobacco smoke.

Two other grant recipients in Cincinnati this year are Inner City Health Care Inc., which will receive $170,000 a year for three years; and the Hamilton County General Health District, which is getting $385,000 a year for three years. The health district will run tobacco cessation and prevention programs in cooperation with 20 other county agencies, called the Hamilton County Tobacco Partnership.

The partnership will focus on school districts and some surrounding communities where agencies have made inroads, said Kathy Lordo, director of community health information services. Those include Cincinnati, North College Hill, Deer Park, Sycamore, St Bernard/Elmwood Place, Norwood and Princeton.

"We're going to encourage these schools to implement 100 percent tobacco-free policies,'' Lordo said.

Hamilton County Tobacco Partnership

Members of the Hamilton County Tobacco Partnership are working together on tobacco cessation and related programs. Members are:

Hamilton County General Health District

Alcoholism Council of the Cincinnati Area

American Cancer Society Ohio Division Inc.

American Lung Association of Ohio

Center for Chemical Addictions Treatment

Central Community Health Board

Cincinnati Health Department

Crossroads Center

Discover Health! Adventures in Learning

Drug and Poison Information Center

First Step Home

Norcen Behavioral Health Systems Inc.

Norwood Health Department

Prospect House

Recovery Link Inc.

Tobacco Free Ohio

Talbert House

Three Square Music Foundation

University of Cincinnati Wellness Center

Urban Minority Alcoholism and the Drug Addiction Outreach Program of Cincinnati

YMCA of Cincinnati

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E-mail annag1129@cs.com