Fish Don’t Smoke!!

CTCP Funding Opportunity

The California Department of Public Health recently released the following funding Request For Applications (RFA). For convenience here is a copy of the RFA in its entirety.

Funding Opportunity Alert

Purpose of RFA: This RFA is focused on funding approximately 38 targeted tobacco control intervention projects at the local level; CTCP is particularly interested in funding applicants who can effectively demonstrate the ability to incorporate priority populations into CTCP’s priority areas which may include African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT), Low Socioeconomic Status (Low SES), Labor, and Rural.

Term: July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2013

Funding: Approximately $5,700,000 per year will be available from the Proposition 99 Tobacco Tax and Health Protection Act of 1988. Funding is contingent upon available revenues in the Governor’s Budget for fiscal year (FY) 2010-11 and subsequent FYs.

RFA Release Date: August 20, 2009*

The RFA, and any updates, will be available through the CTCP Web site: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Tobacco. Please call the contact number listed below for assistance.

Application Due Date: November 5, 2009*

Information Meeting: September 9, 2009, from 1:30-4:30 p.m.*

The RFA information meeting will be a combined conference call and Internet presentation utilizing Avaya™, a visual and interactive meeting software. Additional information regarding the web-meeting, including the log-on process, will be provided in the RFA.

Contact: California Tobacco Control Program

(916) 449-5500

* Dates are tentative.

CBAG Press Conference

Here is some video coverage of the press conference recently held by Tom Novotny and the CBAG. The press conference was also covered by the SDSC News Center and KPBS.

Earth Resources Institute/ Newport Beach Cleanup

Fish Don’t Smoke!!

Amazing and Inspiring are some of the many adjectives to describe our hugely Successful Hold on To Your Butt Beach Cleanup on April 18th! Mother Earth is very happy! The Hold On To Your Butt event on April 18th 2009 was a great success! More than one hundred volunteers showed their support and attended this beach clean up event at the Newport Beach Pier.

Around 14,000 Cigarette Butts were collected in under 2.5 hours. Thanks to all the volunteers, these toxic and non-biodegradable pollutants were picked up off the Newport Beach pier, the beach, the boardwalk, and the surrounding storefronts. These efforts were showcased and reported by a press team from Cal State Fullerton. Councilman Steven Rosanky joined the volunteers and Earth Resource Foundation to show his continued support for the beach cleanup and help spread the knowledge about the smoking ban at the beaches in the city of Newport Beach.

Many beach-goers’ attention was directed towards our effort to clean the beach. The citizens of Newport Beach showed high amounts of support for the efforts being put into cleaning the beaches. The volunteers were also very enthusiastic about the beach cleanup! A young volunteer, a boy who was about 12 years old, picked up almost 800 cigarette butts by himself in a 2 hours period! Many of the volunteers actually pointed out that most of the cigarette filters that were picked up came from the boardwalk area and from the storefronts right by the beach and that the amount of butts picked up off the sand was significantly less than before the ban on smoking on the beach was enacted.

Special thanks to:

Pacific Life for helping with setup and recruiting their employees
Macys for sending their volunteers and their incredible One Good Turn Fundraiser supporting Earth Resource Youth Program
Woodbridge, Northwood, Corona Del Mar and Newport Harbor High Schools

Our incredible volunteers:

Cal State Fullerton: Katie, Alexis, Pat, Stephanie and Amy
UCI: Albert, Mariane, Chris, and Jae
And all your friends and family

All of our Speakers:

Councilman Steve Rosansky
Dr. Tom Novotny, San Diego State Public Health
Jim Walker, President Orange County Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition

Our Exhibitors:

Herm Perlmutter, County of Orange
Cass Spencer, City of Newport Beach
Julie Bini, Inside the Outdoors
Jennifer Hartman and Ron Steward, Orange County Interfaith Coalition for the Environment

Oceans of Appreciation!!!!