In a concerted push against the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Oregon, Clackamas and Washington counties are taking a hands-on approach with their latest funding initiative. The counties pooled resources to address the unequal brunt of commercial tobacco's impact, focusing on communities where usage rates soar – notably among youths, people in low-income neighborhoods, and communities of color, as reported by the Clackamas County Public Health Division's news release.
Addressing these disparities, the Clackamas and Washington Counties Commercial Tobacco Prevention Grant aims to tackle root causes at their origin, ranging from access to healthcare to employment issues. Despite receiving 29 hopeful applications, a rigorous selection process led to seven organizations receiving a critical injection of $50,000 each, enabling them to roll out programs between January 2024 and June 2025 designed to stem the tide of tobacco-related issues, according to the Clackamas County Public Health Division.
Local groups like the African Refugee Immigrant Organization (ARIO) stepped up, launching a tailor-made curriculum to debunk myths surrounding tobacco and khat in their communities. They achieved this by fostering community-driven discussions through workshops and surveys. Meanwhile, the Doulas Latinas International harnessed 'Charlas en Confianza,' which translates to 'Chats in Confidence,' to explore health concerns and tobacco prevention strategies within the Latine communities, as stated by the Clackamas County Public Health Division.
Similarly, the Latino Network, as part of their contribution, enhanced their CHW workforce through specialized training focused on tobacco's negative impact. In conjunction with education initiatives, they provided individuals eager to kick the habit with cessation support kits, offering tangible help amid difficult personal journeys. Living Islands Non-Profit, captured through the focused lens of culturally specific data collection, targeted the root causes and health hazards of betel nut and commercial tobacco use in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, as per the Clackamas County Public Health Division.
Further north, the Pacific Refugee Support Group catered to diverse groups including Afghan, Latine, and Swahili communities. Through workshops and discussions, they opened conversations on vaping and the wide-reaching effects of tobacco that often remain unspoken due to cultural stigma. The Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center wove together a fabric of community services, connecting families with resources intended to alleviate stress and, by extension, reduce reliance on commercial tobacco, as reported by the Clackamas County Public Health Division.
Lastly, the Somali American Council of Oregon crafted a prevention program with a spotlight on hookah and shisha use. They uniquely tailored sessions to youth and parents, setting the stage for meaningful dialogue that contemplated mental health, cultural adjustment, and the lure of tobacco as a coping mechanism during tough transitional phases to American life, according to the Clackamas County Public Health Division.
