Working Together for a Smoke Free Community!

Our Mission Statement:  The mission of the Berrien County Tobacco Reduction Coalition (BCTRC) is to establish a tobacco-free lifestyle as the standard for Berrien County residents.  The mission is fulfilled by promoting and implementing community policies designed to encourage people to quit smoking, prevent children from initiating tobacco use and protect nonsmokers from involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke.

Do You Know…

·        Tobacco is more addictive than cocaine and heroin.

·        Tobacco kills more people in Berrien County than AIDS, alcohol, automobile accidents, fires, cocaine, heroin, murders and suicides – combined.

·        Tobacco is the single most preventable cause of death and disease.

·        There is no level of risk-free exposure to second-hand smoke.

·        Second-hand smoke exposure will cause 12,000 otherwise healthy nonsmokers to die from some form of cancer, 3,000 specifically to lung cancer.

The Coalition meets the 2^nd Monday of each month from 12:00 – 1:30 pm at 2106 M-139, Benton Harbor, MI.  Anyone interested in joining the Coalition or receiving information gathered at the meetings is encouraged to call (269) 927-5622.  You can also contact the Coalition by sending an email to the Berrien County Tobacco Reduction Chair at polmstead@berriencohlthdept.org.

The Coalition provides the following services:

·        Assistance in Policy Development for work sites planning to go smoke-free.

·        Smoke-free Work site Certificates

·        Educational Materials

·        Video Library

·        Networking

·        Presentations

·        Tobacco Education Programs

·        Smoking Cessation Classes