RRPS LEAP Program
The RRPS LEAP Program is in full swing helping our students, staff, and local community gain awareness and information about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.
NOTE: The use of tobacco products by students, staff, parents and visitors is not allowed on our campuses, in our vehicles, or at any school-sponsored events. The RRPS LEAP (Leadership, Empowerment And Prevention) Program is working hard to ensure that these policies are enforced. We offer a cessation program designed to help students who violate the tobacco use policy. FREE tobacco use cessation classes are available for adults, teens and anyone else who wants to quit! Contact the RRPS LEAP Program for more information (see contact information below). Free assistance to quit using tobacco is also available by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or going to their website, http://www.quitnownm.com/.
American Lung Association’s “Freedom from Smoking” adult cessation classes are back! SIGN UP NOW! For more information on how you or a loved one can quit, or to enroll in the Freedom from Smoking Program, please click the link above or visit the ALA Site here.
So what exactly do we do?
Peer Prevention Education- Research indicates that young people are more likely to heed the messages of a peer than a well-meaning adult. Middle and high school students are empowered to take a leadership role and become advocates for healthier tobacco-free youth.
The Truth and Consequences
Facts about Smokeless Tobacco:
- More than 5% of American males use snuff or chew products
daily.
Smokeless tobacco use leads to oral cancer, other cancers, and heart disease. - The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that smokeless tobacco can cause oral cancer and can lead to nicotine addiction.
- More than three-quarters of daily users have non-cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions in their mouths.
- Smokeless use has been linked to cancers of the esophagus, larynx, and stomach, and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes).
FACTS ABOUT TOBACCO
EFFECTS OF SECOND-HAND SMOKE ON CHILDREN:
Because their bodies are still developing, children especially
are endangered by secondhand smoke. The more a parent smokes,
and the more smokers there are in the house, the stronger
the effect on the child.
More than half of children under the age of five in the
United States live in homes with at least one adult smoker.
Increase
risk and severity of asthma
Contributes
to respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and
pneumonia
Increase
number of colds and sore throats
Compounds
effects of many other health conditions such as eye irritations
and cystic fibrosis
Tobacco Free Policy- Federal and state laws require tobacco-free schools. The use of tobacco products by students, staff, parents and visitors is not allowed on our campuses, in our vehicles, or at any school-sponsored events. RRPS is working hard to ensure that these policies are enforced and offers a program designed for students who violate the tobacco use policy.
Adult Tobacco Use Cessation– 70% of adult smokers want to quit smoking! We’re here to help! RRPS is pleased to offer the most widely researched smoking cessation program in the country, the American Lung Association’s “Freedom from Smoking” program, free of charge to staff, parents and community members.
Smokeless tobacco is addictive and as difficult to quit as smoking.
- Chewers and dippers have similar, or even higher, levels of nicotine in their bloodstreams than smokers who smoke a pack of cigarettes or more per day.
- Withdrawal from regular smokeless tobacco use results in the same withdrawal symptoms and discomfort observed in heavy cigarette smokers attempting to quit.
- Many smokeless users want to quit, but few resources exist to help them.
Contact Us
For more information and to find out how you can help with any of our upcoming activities, please contact:
James Gilson, MA, LPC,
LADAC
RRPS L.E.A.P. Coordinator
Phone: 338-4658 ext. 133
Email:
jgilson@rrdo.rrps.k12.nm.us
Sonia Lopez
Prevention Specialist
Phone: 338-4658 ext. 134
Email:
slopez@rrdo.rrps.k12.nm.us
Program Assistant
Phone: 338-4658 ext. 132
Email: