CAHS Alumni Spotlight: Gwen Sieving - University tobacco control advocate honored

Gwen Sieving, '92, a health educator at Colorado State University's Hartshorn Health Center and a graduate in Health and Exercise Science, was recently awarded the Henry W. DeJong Award for Vision and Leadership in Collegiate Tobacco Control. The award honors a higher education professional who has demonstrated leadership in comprehensive tobacco control on campus by creating innovative ways to promote tobacco prevention and cessation among college students.

Sieving was presented the award at the BACCHUS Network's 6th annual National Tobacco Symposium on Young Adults, held March 21-23 in Denver, Colo.

'Crown Jewel' of tobacco control movement

Those who nominated her for the award portray Sieving as a "crown jewel" of the tobacco control movement, continually linking the CSU community to efforts within Fort Collins and Larimer County. Highlights of her work include:

- leading a movement of citizen advocates in the pursuit of Smoke-Free Fort Collins, one of the first comprehensive, precedent-setting smoke-free workplace laws in the state of Colorado

- "Stomp, Romp, and Wag" - CSU's annual dog-friendly event that raises awareness among young adults on the negative effects of secondhand smoke on pets

- free-of-charge individual cessation counseling support to students

Nominators also describe Sieving as genuine, compassionate and committed. She is "the best in the business" because of her empathy to the nature of addiction, her rapport with both students and colleagues and her ability to inspire students and citizens to become a part of the larger tobacco-free movement.

College-aged student have the highest tobacco use rates of any age group

The 18-24 year old population, which includes college-aged students, has the highest tobacco use rates of any age group. CSU was first awarded Colorado Collegiate Tobacco Prevention Initiative funds from BACCHUS in 2002. Since the receipt of those funds, rates of tobacco use on the CSU campus have dropped from 38.6 percent in 2003 to 32.5 percent in 2005.

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Learn more about the CSU Hartshorn Health Services tobacco cessation program online at http://hartshorn.colostate.edu/index.cfm?page=cessation.

Visit BACCHUS online at www.bacchusgamma.org.

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Contact:  Gretchen Gerding
Telephone:  970.491.5182
Email:  Gretchen.Gerding@colostate.edu