Respiratory Health
CINCH began working on respiratory health with the Allies Against Asthma project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2001. This five year project included asthma education for children with asthma; training for healthcare providers; and home visiting programs to improve asthma management. CINCH also developed a comprehensive Asthma Action Plan that was adopted by the Virginia Department of Education to help schools better manage children with asthma.
Education and awareness is a critical part of good respiratory health; therefore, CINCH continually works to educate parents; those who work with children; and others by providing programs and resources on respiratory health.
Current Projects
PROTECT YOUR KIDS: KEEP YOUR RIDE SMOKE & VAPOR FREE
Take the #757SmokeFreeRide policy pledge & share the message to protect children in our community from secondhand smoke.
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We commit to riding in smoke & vapor free cars only. This includes both traditional lit tobacco smoking and use of vaping devices. Both forms leave residue on car surfaces & on fabrics that are harmful to children. This means we will not allow our children to ride in a car that has been smoked or vaped in, at ANY time, as even this is dangerous. We will commit to making sure adults that do smoke or vape don’t ever use these products in the car whether children are present or not.
Take the #757SmokeFreeRide Pledge!
PRINT, SIGN, & SHARE the #757SmokeFreeRide Message!
PRINT the pledge certificate:
#757SmokeFreeRide Pledge Certificate (Adults)
#757SmokeFreeRide Pledge Certificate (Children & Teens)
SIGN and name your role in the community. Example: mother, father, grandmother, teacher, student, etc.
SHARE, take a Selfie with your signed pledge certificate & post to your social media with the hashtag '#757SmokeFreeRide'
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SMOKING CESSATION RESOURCES
VAPING DEVICES
American Academy of Pediatrics: What Are E-Cigarettes?
March of Dimes: E-Cigarettes & Pregnancy
SECONDHAND SMOKE FACTS
CDC Smoking & Tobacco Use: Secondhand Smoke
CDC Secondhand Smoke Fact Sheet
Secondhand Smoke, Kids & Cars Research Fact Sheet. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Health Harms from Secondhand Smoke. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
THIRDHAND SMOKE FACTS
Dangers of Thirdhand Smoke, a Threat to Child Health. American Academy of Pediatrics
SMOKING CESSATION
Quit Now VA: 1-800-QUIT-NOW / 1-800-784-8669
Smokefree.gov
For more information contact CINCH@evms.edu.
Smoke-free Public Housing
Smoke-free Housing Leadership Forum 2016, Presentations
RESOURCES: STEPS TO GOING SMOKE-FREE
Smoke-free Multifamily Housing Toolkits, HUD
Smoke-free Affordable Housing Made Easy, Seattle King County
Tobacco-free Housing, City of Austin
SMOKE-FREE PUBLIC HOUSING: EXAMPLE POLICIES
NOTE: Additional examples are available online and through individual housing authority websites.
Taking A Stand With the American Lung Association
We recognize there are environmental factors that contribute to asthma and other respiratory problems; therefore, CINCH has also been a strong advocate for non-smoking and other related environmental policies to protect children from the harmful effects of environmental pollution. CINCH recently teamed up with the American Lung Association and the Virginia Asthma Coalition to release a joint statement in opposition to the proposed Cypress Creek coal-fired plant, which would be located in Surry County, VA.
- View the position statement here: Joint Coal Plant Position Statement.pdf
Asthma & Allergy School Nurse Expert Program
Launched in 2009, the Asthma & Allergy School Nurse Expert program - also called A2 - is designed to ensure that each school system has a nurse who is a certified asthma educator and asthma/allergy expert "in house". Nurses received ongoing education and training support on a variety of respiratory health topics, as well as, tools they can use in their schools to help manage asthma. Respiratory healthcare professionals from the workgroup helped to develop and provide training and resources for this program.
Current A2 nurses: Click here for access to recorded trainings.
For more information on the A2 program, contact Amy Paulson at CINCH@evms.edu.
Helpful Websites & Links
For Kids - Parents are welcomed too!
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Kids Health from Nemours - Asthma Center: http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/allergy/asthma_center.html#cat20072
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American Lung Association - Lungtropolis: http://www.lungtropolis.com/
For Parents
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/parents.html
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Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: http://www.aafa.org/
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American Lung Association: http://www.lung.org/
For Healthcare Providers
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Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/index.html
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National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/asthma
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: http://www.aaaai.org/home.aspx
Visit our Resources page for more information on other respiratory health topics.