Members of the Southcoast Worksite Health & Wellness Collaborative listened to a presentation by Tobacco Control Coordinator Marilyn Edge and Seven Hills Foundation Program Manager Kathleen Wilbur at a meeting held on April 14, 2016 at the Julias Koch USA Company in New Bedford. Marilyn directs tobacco control for Western Bristol County and Foxborough overseeing compliance checks for fourteen boards of health. Kathleen manages the Southeast Tobacco Free Community Partnership which serves 59 cities and towns on the South Coast and conducts presentations to community organizations about enhanced tobacco regulations, smoke-free housing and cessation resources. Marilyn went over the variety of nicotine delivery products available in stores, including many that end up in the hands of minors. Kathleen described the range of smoking cessation resources available to adults that can be promoted through work sites. The collaborative is made up of representatives from local corporations, hospitals, agencies, chambers of commerce and colleges and meets monthly on the second Thursday of the month at 8:30 a.m. to provide mutual support in improving employee health. Click here for a 55-minute video of the presentation. Click here for another Collaborative meeting at the site.  For more information or to confirm meeting times and locations, contact Julia Jennings at 508-742-9234.

(Top row) Collaborative members gather in the training room at rhe Julias Koch USA Company in New Bedford. (Middle row) Rhode Island College intern Kara Strang listens as Marilyn and Kathleen give their presentation. (Bottom row) Kara and others have the chance to ask questions before the session is over and participants get a brief tour of the plant by Claudia Mullane who works at the facility.