Our Programs
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Cessation
Quit YOUR Way with Tobacco Free Florida
We know quitting can be very hard, but it’s not impossible. In fact, there are more former smokers than current smokers in Florida. With the right help, resources, and the support to keep you going, Tobacco Free Florida can give you the best chance to quit for good. For each person, overcoming nicotine addiction is different and we can help you choose a path to quitting that works for you.
Tobacco Free Florida offers a number of free and convenient resources to help tobacco users quit. Click here for more information.Youth Advocacy: SWAT
Empowering Florida's Teens
Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) is Florida's statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future.
Youth in SWAT are engaged in activities that educate their peers and policy makers about the need to change social norms related to tobacco. SWAT not only promotes leadership, but also helps develop speaking skills and creates opportunities for youth to grow as community advocates. On a local level, SWAT members participate in leadership workshops, local parades, commercial contests, art contests, writing contests, and various other anti-tobacco programming. Students participate in local events such as: Relay for Life, carnivals, community wellness events, parades, leadership retreats, youth rallies, & peer education activities.
To learn more about the Florida SWAT program, visit www.swatflorida.com.
Tobacco-Free Rural Areas
Wholesome and Healthy Country Living
America’s rural population is one group that is more heavily impacted by tobacco use. People living in rural communities are more likely to use tobacco and they have especially high rates of smokeless tobacco use. Rural youth are more likely to be surrounded by role models who are tobacco users. Tobacco use is deeply rooted in the social environment in many rural communities, not only harming the health and well-being of the current generation, but also perpetuating a cycle that threatens future generations.
Tobacco-Free Outdoor Spaces
Protecting Kids & the Environment
Not only do tobacco products devastate the human body, they cause havoc on the environment–ending up in our waterways, along beaches and in our parks. Cigarette butts account for an extraordinary amount of waste. An estimated 1.69 billion pounds, or 845,000 tons, of cigarette butts accumulate as litter in lakes, in oceans, on beaches and on the rest of the planet annually. Only 10 percent of cigarette butts are properly deposited in ash receptacles. In fact, cigarettes and cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world. Tobacco Free Nassau and SWAT members volunteer to clean-up local beaches and parks to bring awareness to the environmental impact of tobacco product litter. By educating community members about secondhand smoke and environmental issues of tobacco, we hope that more tobacco users will reconsider using tobacco in parks, playgrounds and beaches.
Nicotine Sale Zoning Policies
Protecting Kids from Predatory Marketing
Studies show youth smoking is more prevalent in communities with a higher density of tobacco retailers, and using zoning to reduce the proximity of these retailers would lower the smoking rates in a community. Prohibiting tobacco retailers within a certain distance of schools has been shown to reduce retailer density, and communities with fewer tobacco retailers near schools have lower youth smoking rates. There are many ways in which local zoning changes can reduce the presence of tobacco in a community. While many elements of business regulation are kept at the federal or state level, zoning is often seen as a more local-level decision. Zoning restrictions can be used to restrict tobacco retailers from opening and operating in certain areas, such as within a specific distance of youth-oriented facilities like schools and parks. The presence of more tobacco retail locations is also proven to decrease the effectiveness of smoking cessation attempts, with ease of access and consistent heavy marketing leading to people being less likely to successfully stay quit.
Zoning changes to effectively control tobacco are proven best when part of concentrated, integrated long-term efforts.
