KnowSmoke

KNOWSMOKE_LOGOBased on a recent study from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Muskegon County ranked 78th out of 82 counties in Michigan for health behaviors. Muskegon County’s elevated levels of alcohol and tobacco use are partly the reason for the low ranking.

Knowsmoke, Muskegon County’s tobacco reduction coalition, is a community organization dedicated to reducing cigarette use in the Muskegon area. The coalition has three objectives:

Educate the public on the dangers of smoking: The coalition gives presentations and provides public information about the negative health effects of tobacco. It educates the public about dangers of second-hand smoke and aims to reduce youth access to tobacco.

Provide information about smoking cessation resources: To help smokers quit tobacco, the coalition provides tobacco treatment information to Muskegon County residents, while ever increasing the availability of cessation resources to reach more people in the community.

Promote smoke free environments in Muskegon County: The Know Smoke coalition reduces public exposure to smoke. Working with businesses, public servants and the general public, it strives to increase support for and awareness of the Michigan and Muskegon County smoke free laws.

Muskegon County Smoking Statistics

  • According to the Michigan Department of Community Health 30% of Muskegon County smokes, far surpassing the statewide average of 21%.
  • According to the 2009 Muskegon County Youth Risk Behavior survey, 41% of Muskegon county youth have smoked a cigarette in their lifetime. 11.4% of these students smoked their first cigarette before the age of 13.
  • Almost one out of every five students (18.3%) report cigarette smoking during the past thirty days, but the good news is 54.4% report that they have tried to quit smoking during the past year.

Knowsmoke Coalition Members

  • Mercy Health Partners
  • Muskegon Community Health Project
  • Access Health
  • Muskegon Area Intermediate School District (MAISD)
  • Public Health Muskegon County
  • HCCC -Teen Health Center
  • American Cancer Society
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