Four local smoking awareness programs have been given some extra funds to help their campaigns. City council approved a total of $28,500 of the Lloydminster Tobacco Reduction Grant towards multiple non-profit organizations in the city.
Mayor Gerald Aalbers says the grants are funded through a business fee on tobacco, flavoured tobacco and e-cigarette products that goes back into the city.
“That money is collected annually with their business license with the intent that the money goes into the city and not be put into the general tax revenue but back into the community.”
The Lloydminster and Area Drug Strategy received $2,000 for training and support of their youth smoking cessation program. They also received another $5,500 for their high school education and awareness program.
The Lloydminster Sexual Assault Center received $6,850 to fund school sessions focused on addiction and coping. The Lloydminster Interval Home Society received $14,150 for a smoking awareness campaign.
Manager of Social Programs Patrick Lancaster says the grants go to programs within the community that focus on encouraging healthy lifestyles and discourage the use of tobacco products.
“We have found that this year and the previous year that a lot of the applications that we receive have been focused on youth and in particular this year we’ve seen more projects targeted towards e-cigarettes or vaping.”
All four programs that applied received funding. The call for applications ran from October to December.