TimesLeader.com

August 27
Mailbag

Dear Editor,

The American Lung Association is offering its comprehensive Freedom from Smoking� (FFS) Facilitator Training on Monday, Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and continued on Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon. It will be held at the Boy Scout Center Conference Room, 1 Bob Mellow Drive (off Montage Mt Road) Moosic. The cost of the training is $200 and includes materials and food.

The Freedom From Smoking � program was researched and developed by the American Lung Association. FFS� is a seven-week, eight-session adult smoking cessation program that uses positive behavior change in a support group based setting. Now that the state of Pennsylvania has passed a Clean Indoor Air act that encompasses most workplaces, this program would help those businesses to internalize a quit smoking program that they could do when needed.

Persons interested in becoming facilitators will be trained and certified by the American Lung Association who will then be able to help participants strengthen their determination to quit, learn to handle situations which trigger their smoking, identify healthy substitutions for smoking and develop individual plans for dealing with physical, social, and emotional aspects of quitting smoking. Upon completion of this course, individuals will be qualified to host FFS clinics for area businesses and community groups looking to provide tobacco cessation services. Please note, all persons trained must be smoke free for at least a year to be certified as a facilitator in the FFS program—no exceptions.

Registration deadline is September 2. For further information please contact, Tony Delonti, program Specialist for the Lung Association at 346-1784 or email at adelonti@lunginfo.org.

Tony Delonti

Program Specialist

American Lung Assn. of PA- Scranton Office Marywood University