Spencer County public-health partners told the Spencer County School Board they have secured two more years of state grant funding to continue tobacco and vaping prevention and cessation work across the county. Kim Hughes, director and coalition coordinator for the Spencer County Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program, announced the award and described countywide programming for 2025–26.

The announcement matters because the grant underpins tobacco-prevention curricula in all district schools, school-based cessation supports, and youth leadership and community events that county officials say reach thousands. "We received grant funding for an additional two years from the Indiana Department of Health, Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Commission," Hughes told the board.

Presenters said the program is administered through the Spencer County Health Coalition with North Spencer County School Corporation serving as the lead agency for the funded work. Jessica Kinkade, co-coordinator and youth coordinator, described two annual community events organized by the coalition — a November Community Wellness Forum and a Mental Health Matters awareness walk — and said roughly 25 community partners participate in each event.

Program activities described to the board included: classroom delivery of an evidence-based vaping curriculum called Catch My Breath (presenters said it is now in all 11 Spencer County school buildings), school and community cessation support sessions ("Curb Your Cravings" and "Vapor Zane" quick sessions), school-based alternative-to-suspension education developed with the American Lung Association, resource tables at community events, and a youth leadership program called VOICE (a statewide teen leadership initiative).

VOICE participants include student clubs in high schools and middle schools and state-level youth ambassadors. Brody Berg, introduced as a VOICE youth ambassador from Heritage Hills High School, described monthly statewide meetings and campaigns such as the county’s upcoming Red Ribbon Week activities. "Red Ribbon Week's theme this year is 'life is a puzzle,'" Berg said.

Presenters emphasized youth engagement and peer-to-peer education: they said four VOICE teams operated in the county last year and that four trained facilitators deliver the Catch My Breath curriculum. They also said the county’s efforts reach "over 4,000" students, staff and family members each school year through curricula, trainings, newsletters and event outreach.

The presenters distributed the 2024 Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey results to board members and encouraged board members to review the packet for data on youth tobacco use and product availability. They also said the program offers recognition to clinical and community partners (Quit Now Indiana village champion recognition was noted as one local award program) and provides free materials and cessation resources because of the state grant.

Board members thanked the presenters and invited them to return with more detailed program information if the board wanted it. The presentation was informational; no formal board action on the grant or program implementation was recorded in the meeting minutes.

The presenters left materials on a resource table for board members and recommended district staff contact them for program details or to arrange classroom or community presentations.