A program to educate local students about the dangers of tobacco was inspired by an Ohio County woman - a 29-year-old mother of five children who is not expected to live much longer.

Ohio Valley Medical Center announced Thursday it will receive a $9,000 grant from the American Cancer Society in support of its effort to warn children in Ohio and Marshall counties of the consequences of smoking.

OVMC is one of 19 recipients of funding in the seven-state region from Georgia to Delaware.

The program is an effort to prevent children from ever smoking, and it will begin in the elementary schools of the two counties. The health departments in both of those counties also are involved in the program.

The program was initiated by medical oncologist Nadeem Ikhlaque, who is the physician liaison with the OVMC Cancer Committee.

Ikhlaque decided to organize the effort after treating an Ohio County woman who has been smoking since age 9. He said the woman's lung cancer can be attributed only to her 20 years of smoking.

Ikhlaque said the woman's children likely will become smokers, even though smoking eventually will claim their mother's life. He said he expects her to live only a few more months.

Dr. William Mercer, Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department health officer, believes the program is a needed initiative in Ohio and Marshall counties. However, he said tobacco use among children is a problem throughout the Mountain State.

"In West Virginia, we do have a problem," Mercer said.

Following the announcement, Mercer offered statistics to illustrate the state's troubles with youth tobacco use.

He said West Virginia is No. 2 nationally in the number of children who smoke. The Mountain State also takes second in terms of children who use chewing tobacco. Mercer said West Virginia leads the nation in terms of pregnant women who smoke.

"There's nothing good about tobacco," Mercer said. "In two or three weeks, you can become addicted."

Ohio County Schools Superintendent Larry Miller and Deputy Superintendent George Krelis were on hand Thursday at OVMC for the announcement. Miller said it is important for parents to reach out to their children in the prevention of tobacco use. Krelis said he is as concerned over children's use of chewing tobacco as he is about smoking.

Kevin Tephabock, an American Cancer Society executive director, said the involvement of the hospital, the health departments and the school districts is what is needed in the prevention of youth tobacco use.

"We've got the right idea," he said.