4 Corners Partnership: Dodge County Meetings and Activities

Youth and adults from Dodge County participated in the

Day at the Capitol.

We met with Governor Dayton.

and with Representative Savick,

and with Senator Senjem,

and with Representative Quam.

We left reasons to "Raise it for Health" and made a video of our day. (click here to see the entire video.)

Our Infographic Wins National Contest

Read the story in our November newsletter.

Tobacco Ads in Stores Influence Youth to Start Smoking

The tobacco "powerwall" behind the checkout counter at a store in Owatonna.

How common is tobacco advertising in stores in Dodge County?

Our volunteers visited all of the stores in Dodge County that are licensed to sell tobacco and are accessible to youth. They counted the tobacco ads inside and outside of each store. The results of our tobacco ad survey are included in the infograhpic below.

Why should we be concerned about tobacco advertising in stores?

A study by researchers at Stanford University concluded that exposure to cigarette advertising in retail stores is a major cause of teen smoking. The researchers found that youth who visit stores that have tobacco advertising on a regular basis are at least twice as likely to start smoking compared to youth who visit stores infrequently.

Dodge County Fair 2012

Dodge County Students Participate in Day at the Capitol

Student group on the porch of the State Capitol.

Students from Kasson-Mantorville and Triton high schools and RCTC participated in the Raise it for Health Day at the Capitol on March 22, 2012.

We met with Senator David Senjem and Representative Duane Quam. We asked them to:

Raise it for Health - Significantly increase the price of all tobacco products
Defend our Freedom to Breathe
Protect kids from “little cigars” and candy flavored tobacco products

The students are from Dodge Center, Claremont, Kasson and Mantorville. Thank you for making your voices heard at the State Capitol!

See more photos on our Facebook page!

Students from Dodge County SADD participate in press conference

Six students from the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) programs at Kasson-Mantorville and Triton high schools participated in a press conference organized by Senator Carla Nelson and Representative Mike Benson, both Republicans from Rochester.

The two state legislators announced that they are introducing a bill to raise the price of tobacco in Minnesota. They both emphasized that raising the price of tobacco has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to encourage existing smokers to quit and to prevent youth from starting to smoke.

The press conference was held on February 13, 2012 at the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Rochester. Several of the students from the Dodge County SADD programs were invited to speak to the gathering at the press conference.

The students agreed that raising the price of tobacco will help to prevent youth from smoking. Through the SADD program, the students provide peer education to younger students that includes a strong message against using tobacco.

Senator Carla Nelson speaks to the audience at the press conference, while the students from Dodge County SADD look on.

Senator Carla Nelson and Representative Mike Benson with the Dodge County SADD students.

In addition to Senator Nelson, Representative Benson and the three students, other speakers at the press conference included representatives from the Raise it for Health Coalition, ClearWay Minnesota, American Cancer Society and Rochester Chamber of Commerce, along with the superintendent of Rochester public schools and a cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic.

Support the tobacco tax bill: Participate in the Day at the Capitol - March 22

Dodge County residents celebrating the

4th anniversary of Freedom to Breathe

at Daniel's restaurant in Kasson.

Dodge County Independent

July 6, 2011

Dodge County says to Raise it for Health because...

Visit our
Photo Gallery

Why be concerned about tobacco?

Tobacco causes 5,500 deaths each year in Minnesota.

For every person who dies from a smoking related illness, 20 more people suffer with at least one serious illness from smoking.

Smoking costs Minnesota nearly $2 billion in health care costs every year.

Even if you have never smoked or chewed, we all pay the price for tobacco. When everyone understands the harm tobacco causes, we will see significant change. Each of us can do our part to bring about a healthy tobacco-free future by becoming better informed about the issues and then sharing what we learn with the people we know, including our elected officials. It’s really that simple. Grassroots people like us really do have the power to bring about positive change.

We would like to keep you informed about our activities. Please click the Contact Us button to add your name to our newsletter list.

Thank you!

Ruth Greenslade , Dodge County Coordinator

Four Corners Partnership