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March 20 is National Kick Butts Day, a time to raise awareness of the health effects of cigarettes and nicotine products and take action to lower one’s risk. Researchers in the University of Kentucky College of Nursing are creating a series of comic books focusing on treatment and cessation.

Based on the study findings, the researchers suggest standardizing assessment and treatment approaches based on existing quality reporting measures, integrating telephone quit-line services, and offering cessation counseling and medication to all tobacco users as a standard of care.

Researchers at the UK developed and pilot-tested a family-centered, youth-engaged home radon testing toolkit and trained high school students as “citizen scientists” to educate their parents about the dangers of radon and how to test for it.

Mudd-Martin is testing the effectiveness of two interventions aimed at encouraging healthy behaviors such as physical activity, healthy eating and smoking cessation for the populations of rural areas of Bourbon, Rowan, Nicholas and other nearby counties.

In addition to opening the door to developing blockers of odors, McClintock says this work will help researchers understand why formulating fragrances and flavors with specific properties is so difficult. “Ergo, the oft-used phrase 'the art of perfumery.' Eventually, we will turn this art into science.”

Kentucky has one of the nation's highest incidences of oral cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health, and the prevalence of oral cancer in the targeted counties is as much as 54% higher than the state average.

“The significance of addressing health and other inequities has never been greater,” said Nancy Schoenberg, CHET director. “While we received numerous rigorous proposals, these projects stood out for their capacity to employ stellar research approaches to make impactful change."

The research led by Shyanika Rose examined local policies across the nation that restricted flavored tobacco products to see how they reached at-risk populations including youth, people of color, LGBTQ and low-income groups.

People in Kentucky experience some of the highest rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, substance use, diabetes and obesity in the nation. CHET seeks to improve the health of the most vulnerable residents of Kentucky and beyond.

Ten years ago, UK administrators, students, faculty and staff made the decision to become a tobacco-free campus. Since then, the university has become a healthier place to live, work and learn.