Help Teens Become Smokefree, Become a Not On Tobacco Facilitator or Trainer

ALBANY, NY (02/17/2011)(readMedia)-- The American Lung Association in New York announced that it will be offering its 'Not On Tobacco' (N-O-T) facilitator training at its office in Rochester on Thursday, March 10. The one-day training, which prepares individuals to deliver the 10-session smoking cessation program to teens in local schools and in the community, will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Optional training to become a certified N-O-T trainer will be held on Friday, March 11 from 8:30 a.m. until noon. Those who complete the optional trainer program will be qualified to train and certify other N-O-T facilitators.

"The Lung Association is committed to helping teens quit smoking so we can reduce the devastating effects of lung disease," said Scott T. Santarella, President & CEO of the American Lung Association in New York. "Our N-O-T Program has already helped many teens quit smoking but there are many more who could benefit from this one-of-a-kind program. That's why we're hoping people in the community will consider becoming N-O-T-facilitators and trainers. The more people we have trained to deliver the program, the more widely it can be offered."

The fee for New York state residents is $50 for the facilitator training and an additional $25 for the trainer program. The fee for out-of-state residents is $250 for the facilitator training and an additional $100 for the trainer program. A limited number of $500 mini-grants are available in New York to assist with running a program at either a school or community center.

The N-O-T program is an evidence-based, medically sound smoking cessation program for teenagers that was developed by researchers at West Virginia University. The program offers a supportive, structured environment that motivates lifelong behavior change.

The comprehensive N-O-T curriculum meets the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Guidelines for School Health Programs. N-O-T is the only smoking cessation program to have been named a Model Program by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).

Upon successful completion of the training, participants will be American Lung Association certified facilitators. All program graduates will be supplied with a N-O-T curriculum, a CD of all materials, a PDF file of the "Alternative to Suspension" program and access to the N-O-T facilitator website.

Those interested in pre-registering for the program can download a printable registration form . Those with further questions about the program should contact Marianne Zacharia via email at mzacharia@alany.org, or by phone at (631) 265-3848 ext. 19. The deadline for pre-registration is March 4th.

Those who would like to learn more about the N-O-T program can visit www.notontobacco.com. For more information about the American Lung Association in New York, visit www.alany.org

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