IMPACT

IMPACT provides tobacco control interventions targeting young adults, ages 18-29, in Fresno County communities. This age group has the highest smoking rate of all age groups in California. Although the young adult smoking rate has decreased since 2003, it still stands at 18.3 percent, significantly higher than the overall California adult smoking rate of 15.4 percent

Consistent with its mission of improving health care in Central California, the San Joaquin Valley Health Consortium supports a comprehensive tobacco control program, Fresno County’s IMPACT (Individuals, Mentors, and Peers Advocating to Control Tobacco.) The mission of IMPACT is to empower young adults to advocate, educate, and innovate strategies to prevent or control tobacco use, primarily among 18-29 year olds. Its activities focus on serving those young adults (1) who have unmet needs, (2) who are at high risk, and (3) who are disproportionately targeted by the tobacco industry.

Funding

Tobacco Control Section of the California Department of Health Services awarded a three-year contract to the San Joaquin Valley Health Consortium to fund the IMPACT Program for three more years. With budget cuts across the state, the competition for funding was intense. Thanks to our IMPACT Executive Advisory Board and to our mini-grantees for the excellent work they accomplished over the last four years, we are now funded through June of 2008.

With the grant from the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section, IMPACT works closely with other local and statewide organizations to advocate for tobacco-free policies, to educate the community about secondhand smoke, and to build capacity in young adult organizations