The National Latino Council on Alcohol & Tobacco Prevention receives funding.

The National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention (LCAT) is pleased to announce that it has received a two-year $580,000 grant award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and Health (CDC/OSH) . The renewal funding from CDC/OSH will support LCAT’s National Hispanic/Latino Tobacco Prevention and Control Network (NHLTPCN) , which aims to eliminate tobacco use and improve the health of the Latino community.

“We are thrilled,” said Marilyn Aguirre Molina, chair of the LCAT board of directors. “This money sustains and validates our deep commitment to the Latino community. The contribution of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the field of tobacco prevention and control is critically important. Without CDC’s support and vision, the health disparities experienced by our community would be far more exacerbated.”

In September 2000, LCAT was one of eight National Networks that were selected by CDC/OSH to work on reducing the prevalence of tobacco use within priority populations. NHLTPCN’s primary focus is to address tobacco control and prevention strategies within the Latino community. Today, the NHLTPCN is comprised of partners representing diverse Latino communities from throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Other national grantees include the National African American Tobacco Education Network, NW Portland Area Indian Health Board, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organization, Fenway Institute and the National Network on Tobacco Prevention and Poverty.

“We appreciate the opportunity to continue working with the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health,” said LCAT Executive Director Guillermo Brito. “The health of the Latino community is at risk, as Latino workers are much more likely to be exposed to the dangers of secondhand smoke than others. For this reason, the NHLTPCN is a crucial resource for all Latino tobacco control advocates. In fact, LCAT is the only national Latino organization dedicated to reducing the harmful effects of tobacco in the Latino community.”