Organizations in Delaware, Chenango and Otsego counties have been awarded Youth Empowerment Grants as part of Gov. George Pataki's $60.5 million anti-smoking campaign.

The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of Delaware County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Otsego County and the Chenango County Health Department will each receive $65,000 to develop a youth empowerment program, according to state Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello.

"The only thing better than quitting smoking is not starting in the first place. That's why it is so critical to involve local youth in these organizations," Novello said. The grants were announced Tuesday.

Each funded county will hire a full-time coordinator to develop countywide programs to empower youth to help foster change in the social norms toward tobacco use among teens.

Donna Brooks, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Otsego County, said she was thrilled to hear that the grants had been awarded.

"This is going to be an exciting grant program," Brooks said. "The coordinator will be working solely with kids to develop a youth-oriented, youth-run program."

Michael Durham, of the Delaware County Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council, said the search for a person to fill the coordinator position will begin immediately.

"We are going to start looking right away for someone with the ability to work non-traditional hours and who can travel to events around the state with the kids," Durham said. "We want to get a person on board as soon as possible and have the program in full-swing by the time school starts in the fall."

Durham said the grant is renewable annually for three years.

The coordinator will work independently with students to help them develop a program that mixes fun event with anti-smoking messages.

Durham noted that several agencies in Delaware County including the Youth Bureau, the Alcoholism Council and Cooperative Extension decided that the best place to base the Youth Empowerment Program was out of the Alcoholism Council.

"It's funny, a couple of years ago we didn't consider tobacco one of the substances we dealt with," Durham said. "But now, with the anti-tobacco initiative, it has become an important consideration."

Brooks said Otsego's Youth Empowerment Program will be based in Cooperstown, but the peer-to-peer program will involve every school district. The program will work in conjunction with 4-H and the Leatherstocking Promise programs.

"The program is aimed at getting youth who are smoking to stop and to encourage others never to start," Brooks said. "There will be events like a concert where admission will be an item with a tobacco logo and then we will have a huge bonfire and burn up all the tobacco items."

Youth organizations in 54 counties received grants ranging from $65,000 to $120,000 based on county population.

"By funding these county youth organizations, it will ensure that they play a pertinent role in the creation of the state's youth-oriented, anti-smoking campaign," said Novello.

Other components of Pataki's $60.5 million anti-smoking crusade include:

• Support for school-based tobacco prevention programs.

• Creation of the largest anti-tobacco advertising program in state history.

• Promotion of smoking cessation services.

• Support of the New York State Smokers Quitline (888) 609-6292.

• Advertising aimed at adult smoking cessation.

• Advertising to highlight the dangers of secondary smoke.

• Coverage of prescribed and over-the-counter smoking cessation products.