Mental health is greatly impacted by tobacco use. Nicotine and the other harmful components of tobacco not only affect mental health but overall well-being. Individuals may find it challenging to quit tobacco use due to the demands that withdrawal can put on one’s mental health, but quitting has long term benefits on health.

In light of World Mental Health Day approaching on October 10th, it is imperative to address the detrimental effects of tobacco use on mental health and overall wellbeing.

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The Coalition is excited to once again sponsor DC Calls It Quits Week! Our theme this year is "Stronger Together: Building Community Connections and Partnerships." For our DC Quits Summit, we're coming together in-person and online to learn, share and collaborate to move DC tobacco control forward.

Carol McGruder, co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC), will deliver our keynote address. A noted expert and award-winning tobacco control activist, Ms. McGruder is a founding member of AATCLC, our country’s leading public health education and advocacy organization taking on Big Tobacco to save Black lives.

We invite you to join us for community-focused roundtable/breakout discussions and panels with tobacco control experts and community health advocates. Space is limited, so we encourage you to register now! REGISTER HERE →

DC Officially Ends Menthol Sales October 1st: It’s been a long time coming, but the DC law ending the sale of menthol flavored tobacco products officially goes into effect on October 1st. What does that mean for retailers and consumers? Our policy chair, Josh Brown, explains that although the law goes into effect on October 1st, seeing all menthol flavored products disappear from retail shelves may take some time. Realistically, we expect that the work to educate and engage retailers and consumers will be an ongoing activity throughout the fall and winter. If you’re interested in getting involved in the continuing work to end menthol flavored tobacco sales, contact us!

September Events: The month of September is a busy one! We’re hard at work planning DC Calls It Quits Week from September 19-25. Members and allies are hosting events throughout the week, and we’ll host the DC Quits Summit on September 22nd. Register here →

The week after DC Calls It Quits, we look forward to taking part in the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) 3rd National Menthol Conference, September 28-30 (register here), where the theme is “Finishing the Fight!” Learn more and register to attend here →

Our Committees Need YOU: We’ll be advocating for continued support for progressive tobacco control measures. Want to get involved? We need vocal, committed allies to advance our work! Help engage more community residents and local business owners in the Coalition’s mission. If you’re interested in joining any of our Committees, or you have a community project that aligns with our work, we want to hear from you! Email info@dctfc.org to get involved.

2022 Member Survey: Share your thoughts and ideas with us. In September we’ll be sending out our annual survey to ask for member feedback. Your input will help guide our efforts and our priorities in 2023. Be on the lookout for the survey email. Need to update your membership? Visit our member sign up page to join the Coalition or contact us if you need to update your member information.

2023 Coalition Board Elections: Interested in being a Coalition leader? We’ll be accepting nominations for our Executive Board positions starting in October. Terms for our current board members end in January. Watch your email in the next month for updates about the election and nomination process. If you have questions, contact us for more information.

Tobacco/Vape-Free College Grant
Deadline: October 12

Truth Initiative is offering up to $20,000 to colleges and universities to support the adoption and implementation of a 100% tobacco and vape-free campus policy. Colleges and universities that do not already have a 100% tobacco/vape-free policy are eligible to apply.

Washington Gas Charitable Giving
Deadline: Rolling

The Washington Gas Charitable Giving Program focuses on three primary areas of interest: Bright Futures; Environmental Champions; and Healthy and Safe Communities. There are no set deadlines. Visit the Washington Gas charitable giving page for details and a link to apply.

Got News? Send us your articles and news of interest to Coalition members for publication in our quarterly newsletter or inclusion in a news alert email. Contact us for more information.

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