Joey Boswell has taken over as coordinator of the Heart Network’s Health Systems for a Tobacco Free North Country program.
As project coordinator, Boswell will work to develop health systems that establish and monitor implementation of evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment policies.
“It’s important to have open, honest and enlightening conversations about the impact of tobacco use on youth and adults in the North Country,” Boswell said. “We know tobacco companies target rural communities such as the North Country and its hard-working residents. Through education and advocacy, and working with local tobacco control partners, we can influence change within medical and behavioral health systems to lower the smoking rate and build healthier communities.”
“The Heart Network is fortunate to have someone with Joey’s experience and expertise at the helm of our tobacco cessation work,” said Ann Morgan, the Heart Network’s executive director. “We’ve made positive strides recently, with youth smoking hitting an all-time low and the prevalence of tobacco use among adults on the decline in several North Country counties. We have complete faith that Joey will work with our partners to keep these trends moving in the right direction.”
Boswell hails from Texas and is an Army veteran. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Public Health and Human Performance at SUNY Potsdam, and has worked with the Seaway Valley Prevention Council’s Reality Check program and as community engagement specialist at Adirondack Health Institute. In his free time, Boswell teaches dance and coaches gymnastics and cheerleading throughout the North Country.
“Working with youth and being a positive role model is what drives me to advocate for more opportunities for our youth to thrive,” he said.
The Health Systems for a Tobacco Free North Country program covers St. Lawrence, Clinton, Franklin and Essex counties, and is funded by the New York State Health Department’s Bureau of Tobacco Control. To learn more, contact Joey Boswell at jboswell@heartnetwork.org. For resources to help you quit, check out New York State Smokers’ Quitline at nysmokefree.com or call 1-866-NY-QUITS.
The Heart Network also administers the Creating Health Schools & Communities program in Franklin County, which works to increase access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity in schools, communities and early childcare settings, as well as the North Country Chronic Disease Prevention Coalition, a network of healthcare providers, community-based organizations,and other regional stakeholders working to replicate and expand evidence-based diabetes prevention programs across the North Country.
To learn more, contact Ann Morgan at amorgan@heartnetwork.org or (518) 891-5855.
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