The HALT (Haskell And Latimer Tobacco) Project is a collaborative effort between Haskell and Latimer Counties, made possible by a Community of Excellence grant from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust or TSET.  The mission of The HALT Project is to HALT the influence of the tobacco industry, to support community members in their effort to HALT tobacco use, to encourage youth to never start and to work towards a tobacco free environment for Haskell and Latimer County.

As the lead agency for the grant, KI BOIS Community Action was awarded the grant in September of 2010 and the Coordinator, Denice Daniels was hired in December of 2010.  There is a 5 year plan in place to work on those things listed in the mission statement, and luckily, with this grant, our communities get to decide how to make those things happen here, for us, rather than someone elsewhere deciding what’s best for us.

It is so important for the citizens of our community to be aware of the effects of tobacco.  They need to know that tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death, killing more Oklahomans each year than alcohol, auto accidents, AIDS, murders and illegal drugs combined.    Every year, 6200 Oklahomans die from tobacco and another 124,000 suffer from a serious tobacco caused disease.    They also need to be aware of the fact that every 90 minutes in Oklahoma, a child becomes addicted to tobacco. 

Things I can do to help.....

• Make your home and car a smoke free zone.
• Refuse tobacco industry sponsorship of events.
• Use and/or encourage your loved ones to call the helpline at 1-800-QUIT NOW.
• Encourage your elected officials to support strong public policy to protect us all from secondhand smoke and prevent the initiation of tobacco use by our youth.
• Encourage and/or support your schools to adopt a 24/7 tobacco-free campus policy.
• Join a coalition and make a difference in your community.

Currently, The HALT Project is in the process of building its coalition and making the community aware of the project and its mission.

If you are interested in joining or finding out more about The HALT Project, contact Denice Daniels at 918-967-3325 ext 154 or at denice.daniels@kibois.org.