Alex Cohen is the Director of Learning and Evaluation for the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death nationwide. In Indiana, which has among the highest smoking rates in the U.S., an estimated 11,000 people die each year from smoking. While smoking-related illnesses generally occur in older ages, smoking starts much earlier. When kids turn 18—or their friends turn 18—and they have access to cigarettes, it’s easy to start and get hooked. It’s unsurprising then that nearly 90 percent of current adult smokers first started the habit before they turned 19. One solution that’s being tested in more than 270 cities and counties in 18 […]

With so many COVID-19 related challenges before us, we cannot lose sight of the people in our lives and in our communities struggling with addiction. The opioid crisis, and substance use disorder more broadly, need our attention now more than ever.