Alaska Tobacco Control Alliance

Trudy Dotomain Valenza is the Tobacco Cessation Lead for a larger community partnership group we have in Seward, currently named Seward Wellness for All. The mission of the Wellness for All group is to enhance and promote wellness for Seward through Community partnerships.

Joyanne Bloom is Alaska’s “Capital Advocate” for tobacco control. She cofounded the Juneau Tobacco Prevention Network 16 years ago and started Juneau’s first Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) that same year.

Cynthia is an assistant attorney general for the State of Alaska. For the last decade she has been the sole attorney supporting tobacco enforcement and tobacco licensing. Cynthia has represented the State in both criminal and civil tobacco cases.

At last year’s AK TAI Summit, teens from the Kenai Peninsula, as well as from around the state, identified a need that they wanted their school districts to address. Specifically, that students caught using tobacco products should be provided an educational unit that would enlighten them to the dangers of tobacco use and move them toward a desire to quit using tobacco rather than just suspending them from school.