La Paz County Health Department’s

Public Health Education & Prevention Program  

The La Paz County Public Health Education & Prevention Program (LPC PHEPP) is a division of the County Health Department that provides localized programming focusing on health education, prevention, tobacco cessation, and the creation of tobacco free environments for the citizens of La Paz County in our schools, worksites, healthcare and community based settings. 

Youth Prevention

 LPC PHEPP’s priority to prevent the initiation of tobacco, drugs, alcohol and to delay the initiation of sexual intercourse among youth is our focus when providing school and community based prevention activities.  We provide intensive, multi session prevention programming to all La Paz County Public Schools and to charter and private schools upon request.  We use age appropriate curricula that targets different topics such as drug and alcohol use, violence, and the early onset of sexual activity. 

Prevention education such as the All Stars program has a strong emphasis on positive norms, personal commitment and idealism, all of which have been proven to be most effective in delaying the onset of risky behavior.  All Stars Core consists of between 9 and 13 sessions to be delivered once a week to 4^th, 5^th, 6^th and 7^th grade students throughout La Paz County schools.  Go to www.allstarsprevention.com for information on the All Stars programs.

In-sight intervention program for teens is used in grades 6-12 to teens who have already experimented with alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, or any other drug.  In-sight is proven to increase school performance, improve school attendance and drop-out rates, reduce behavior issues, increase communication skills, and improve the ability to make positive lifestyle choices.  Please call our office to refer a teen to this positive after school program.  The group meets at the PHEPP office every Wednesday at 3:30 pm.

PHEPP is sponsoring a Peer Mentoring Program for high school students.  This program matches incoming freshman with more experienced students providing the opportunity for one-on-one relationships and to provide guidance, friendship and support.  We will be facilitating the scheduling of meetings, training for mentors and providing activities to promote and strengthen the mentoring experience.  

Can We Talk? Is a parent-child communication program for both parents, and educators to help them address self-esteem, puberty, sexuality, mixed messages and peer pressure with their late elementary and middle schooled youth.  Parents and other caregivers play an important role in the health education of their children.  Ongoing and open family communication about values, healthy relationships, decision making, and sexual development are important elements to help children develop into sexually healthy adults.  Call to enroll in this invaluable workshop and begin to learn how to bridge the communication gap that too often happens between parents and their children. 

 Tobacco Cessation

The promotion of quitting among youth and adults is an essential piece to help us focus on the reduction of disease, disability and death related to tobacco use. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.  Cigarette smoking causes an estimated 438,000 deaths, or about 1 of every 5 deaths, each year.  This estimate includes approximately 38,000 deaths from secondhand smoke exposure and costs the nation approximately $50-73 billion annually.  Our cessation services consists of a multi-session quit program, telephone based support, medication at a reduced cost, a maintenance class, and tobacco education classes for the incarcerated population. We can help smokers or chewers quit for life by giving you the tools and support they need to succeed in conquering their addiction.  It is never too late to make healthier choices. 

Make the Change…Make the Call! (928) 669-MAKE

Smoke Free Arizona

The Smoke-Free Arizona Act was voted in by the citizens of Arizona in November 2006 and went into effect on May 1, 2007. This state-wide law prohibits smoking in all enclosed public areas and places of employment, including restaurants and bars, and prohibits smoking within 20 feet of any business entrance. The act was proposed not to control smokers, but to protect non-smokers in public places. Second-hand smoke contains thousands of chemicals, many of them toxic and carcinogenic. Exposure to second-hand smoke can lead to lung and other cancers, emphysema, heart disease, stroke, respiratory infections and, in the case of unborn babies and infants, low birth weight and SIDS.

The LPC PHEPP conducts inspections and education throughout La Paz County to ensure compliance of the Smoke-Free Arizona Law. Businesses that are found to be in violation of the Law will be issued a Notice of Violation and a fine between $100 and $500 per violation, per day may be assessed.

For information on the Smoke-Free Arizona Act or to request info packets and/or to order signage, please contact your local Smoke-Free Arizona Coordinator at (928) 669-5912 or visit www.smokefreearizona.org

Car Seat Safety

Car crashes are a leading killer of children ages 3-14 in the United States.  LPC PHEPP teaches parents and caregivers to use the right safety gear for kids when they are in vehicles on every ride.  There are many tools parents and caregivers can use to help reduce the risk of injury and death to children who ride in vehicles. Please contact our office for more information or to schedule an appointment to have a technician check your car seats. Car seats are available to qualifying families.  Remember to buckle up on every ride, and make sure kids age 12 and under always ride properly restrained in a back seat. 

Please Contact us for any of our Public Health Education Services

La Paz County Health Department’s

Public Health Education

& Prevention Program

601 Riverside Dr.

Suites 9 &10

Parker, AZ 85344

Phone: (928) 669-1062

Fax: (928) 669-9154

Toll Free: 1-866-908-MAKE (6253)

Office Hours:  Monday –Friday 8:00am-5:00pm

Helping You Evolve

to a Healthier Lifestyle

    Lee Ann Anderson                                  Kristi Irwin                                            Tammy Minor

       Program Manager                            Treatment Coordinator                         Prevention Coordinator

landerson@co.la-paz.az.us                    kirwin@co.la-paz.az.us                          tminor@co.la-paz.az.us 

Chris Denney                                              Janan Vences                                              Martha Duran 

Prevention Coordinator                 Smokefree Arizona Coordinator           Administrative Support

cdenney@co.la-paz.az.us                  jvences@co.la-paz.az.us                        mduran@co.la-paz.az.us

Programs are funded by the Arizona Department of Health Services

Bureau of Tobacco Education & Prevention and the

Bureau of Women’s & Children’s Health