Cicatelli Associates Inc. (CAI), in partnership with the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission (MSAAHCC), has signed a tobacco free policy to further advance and strengthen tobacco and vaping usage along Michigan Street (Harriot Tubman Pkwy) to the connecting Ferry Street Corridor.

CAI’s initiatives Tobacco Free Coalition of Erie & Niagara County (TFCEN) and Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH), focused its efforts to create a healthy and respectful environment by reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and toxins emitted by electronic cigarettes. This tobacco-free policy will include worksites and outdoor spaces to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, promote tobacco cessation, and applies to all MSAAHCC employees, visitors and contractors.

“Big tobacco has ‘systematically’ targeted the Black Community for far too long with its deadly products, which threatens our liberation and emancipation,” says Stan Martin, Project Director of TFCEN and REACH project at CAI. “From where we live, work, shop, and pray, community education and access to services allow us to create a pathway for families to change their living environment and build a legacy for their families.”

Local organizations involved have engaged tobacco community wellness champions throughout the process and provided signage that prohibits tobacco use, vaping, and promote access to tobacco cessation supportive services.

“As an advocate for our thriving and livable community, we are addressing the root causes of social determinants of health,” says Terry Alford, Executive Director of the Michigan Street African Am. Heritage Corridor Commission. “When we stand collectively together, put actions behind our words and provide a platform for our voices to be heard, we can make specific changes that will last a last time.”

If you are a business owner or property manager that would like to strengthen your existing tobacco policy and/or receive free ‘No Tobacco or Vaping” signage, contact Stan Martin, Project Manager at CAI before June 30 atSMartin@caiglobal.org.

Stan Martin, Project Director of TFCEN and REACH project and Terry Alford, Executive Director of the MSAAHCC

Representatives of REACH, MSAAHCC, Historic Michigan Street Baptist Church, Rev. Edward Nash House, WUFO Radio, and Colored Musician Club and Museum

About The Tobacco-Free Coalition of Erie & Niagara Counties:

Established in August 2019, The Tobacco-Free Coalition of Erie & Niagara Counties is an initiative of CAI (Cicatelli Associates Inc) that is committed to reducing tobacco use and second-hand smoke among individuals living in Erie and Niagara Counties. The Coalition supports community efforts that will reduce the impact of retail tobacco marketing on youth and adults and promote anti-tobacco evidence-based education and activities. The program is a local grant-funded project by the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Control. For more information, visit www.caiglobal.org.

ABOUT REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health):

REACH Buffalo is an initiative of CAI (Cicatelli Associates Inc) established in September of 2019 and is funded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This program addresses racial, ethnic and health disparities of African Americans residing in and around the Ferry Corrido within Buffalo, N.Y. Partnering with the African American Health Disparities Task Force (AAHETF), both initiatives formed The Ferry Corridor Good Health Project to reduce chronic diseases and improve the quality of health care and social services to marginal locations. For more information, visit www.caiglobal.org

About The Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor:

The Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor is a nationally and internationally recognized Buffalo neighborhood that serves as the focal point of residents’ and visitors’ experience for learning about Buffalo’s rich African American history. In early 2007, the historic preservation area legislation was introduced to recognize the area as a heritage corridor. The MSAAHCC is comprised of five historical museums in the heart of the African American/Black Community: Colored Musicians Club, Michigan Street Baptist Church, Nash House Museum and POWER 96.5 WUFO Radio Station Museum. For additional information visit www.michiganstreetbuffalo.org.