In addition, use of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes were seen as contributing factors. These factors must be considered as well in evaluating the needs of the children in our target population. The concept of Risk Reduction and the theory behind its approach to changing behavior will be used to confront drinking, smoking and injury. The broad categories to consider when designing an education program for risk reduction are the predisposing, reinforcing and enabling factors which contribute to deleterious behavior patterns. Tobacco is a major source of income to the area, and smoking is highly accepted, even encouraged in some work situations.
Children learn from their parents, and so smoking is reinforced through the generations.
As smoking is common, it is permitted in many public locations. In addition, political forces in the state keep taxes on cigarettes low, so cigarettes and other forms of tobacco remain affordable. Inappropriate use of alcohol is a problem that spans all socioeconomic and social groups. In this community, we will want to further explore specific use patterns as we utilize a general education strategy. Most people in this community perform manual labor, thus putting them at high risk for occupational injury.