Press Releases
Year
CUPHD Finds Local Tobacco Vending Practices that Increase Youth Smoking Rates
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2021
Contact
Tara McCauley, Special Projects Coordinator
(217) 531‐4252 / tmccauley@c‐uphd.org
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
CUPHD Finds Local Tobacco Vending Practices that Increase Youth Smoking Rates
Champaign County, IL – The Champaign‐Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is releasing a report this month with findings that tobacco vending in Champaign County is more heavily concentrated in certain areas, and that a number of vendors have practices that make smoking more appealing to youth. Retail tobacco practices have a direct impact on the number of smokers, and how many youth begin smoking.
The Champaign County tobacco vendor survey found that:
- Tobacco vendors are more likely to be located near schools in low income areas;
- More than half of local teens live near a tobacco vendor;
- Tobacco products attractive and accessible to youth are more prevalent in certain villages, with the highest number in Mahomet;
- Tobacco vendors are more concentrated in certain villages, with the highest density in Thomasboro.
These vendor practices have been shown to increase smoking rates among low income people, youth, and the general population.
Because smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the US, with tobacco killing one in five people, public health advocates recommend reducing tobacco vendor practices that make smoking more likely. These recommendations include: reducing tobacco advertising inside and outside stores, reducing the number of tobacco vendors, raising tobacco prices, moving tobacco products out of reach of children, removing flavored tobacco products that appeal to youth, and not selling tobacco near candy, toys, or schools.
Tara McCauley, CUPHD Special Projects Coordinator, said, “Our research into local tobacco vendor practices demonstrates that our community needs to do more to prevent the disease and death caused by smoking. CUPHD hopes that we can take action locally to reduce the attractiveness of smoking when adults and youth frequent local businesses.”
CUPHD had assistance with its report from the GIS and Spatial Analysis Lab at the University of Illinois (UIUC) College of Veterinary Medicine, and CUPHD also used data from the Illinois Youth Survey from the UIUC Center for Prevention Research and Development.
CUPHD’s tobacco prevention project is part of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Tobacco Free Communities initiative.
For more information: www.c‐uphd.org/tobacco.html
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Free Screening of Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2016
Contact
Whitney Greger, Health Educator I
(217) 531-2914 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Free Screening of Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District to Host Free Screening of Documentary
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) will host a screening of the documentary Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The event will be held at the Art Theater Co-op located at 126 W. Church Street in Champaign from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM. The event is free to the public and includes a panel discussion following the screening featuring local experts currently battling HPV and cervical cancer in the area. Popcorn will be available free of charge.
The human papillomavirus, or HPV, may be the most widespread, misunderstood and unknown epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV is so common that almost all sexually active men and women will get it at some point in their lives and most will not even realize that they have it. Cervical cancer is almost exclusively caused by HPV. Human papillomavirus is also responsible for 70 percent of vaginal and vulvar cancers and 60 percent of penile cancers.
The documentary Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic will introduce five women whose lives have been changed forever, and in some cases, ended by this deadly virus.
For more information, please contact Whitney Greger at (217) 531-2914.
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Champaign‐Urbana Walk with the Mayors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2021
Contact
Tara McCauley, Special Projects Coordinator
(217) 531‐4252 / tmccauley@c‐uphd.org
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Champaign‐Urbana Walk with the Mayors
Walk for Health and Fitness with the Champaign and Urbana Mayors
Champaign, IL ‐ On Saturday, April 2nd, the second annual Walk with the Mayors event will begin at 9:00 a.m. at Douglass Park (512 E. Grove St, Champaign).
The purpose of the walk is to encourage community health and physical activity. Mayor Deborah Feinen of Champaign and Mayor Laurel Prussing of Urbana will lead the group to share their commitment to wellness and to inspire the community through healthy role modeling. The walk is free and open to the public, including children.
“We’d love to have residents join us,” said Mayor Prussing. “I try to walk every day. I enjoy walking to work and back. It’s great for your health.”
Champaign Mayor Feinen said, "Walking benefits our health and our environment and it's a great way to spend the morning. I am excited to show off our parks and our community's tremendous bike and walking infrastructure to those who join us."
The walk is approximately 3 miles, and will be at a leisurely pace. The walk will start with an address by Mayor Feinen at Douglass Park. The group will then walk through King Park to Crystal Lake Park in Urbana, where Mayor Prussing will address the walkers. The group will then walk back along the same route to finish at Douglass Park.
The event is being organized by the Champaign‐Urbana Public Health District, the Champaign Park District, the City of Champaign, the City of Urbana, and the Urbana Park District. For more information: www.facebook.com/events/160809990967742
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