Smoking is the #1 cause of preventable deaths in the United States. Over 480,000 people in the United States die each year from tobacco-related illnesses – that is more deaths than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides COMBINED! Source: tobaccofreekids.org
Under the Sacramento County Health Education Unit, the Tobacco Education & Prevention Program works to:
- Decrease the number of tobacco users including those who chew, smoke, and vape
- Develop and distribute educational resources on tobacco prevention, cessation, and policy
- Educate retailers on local, state, and federal tobacco laws and healthy retail strategies
- Protect the public from secondhand and thirdhand smoke
- Provide training and technical assistance to local organizations working on tobacco issues
- Reduce youth access to tobacco products
Current Projects
Current projects that protect our community from the dangers of tobacco use:
- Assisting current tobacco users in quitting
- Coordinating the Greater Sacramento Smoke & Tobacco Free Coalition
- Educating community members on reducing secondhand and thirdhand smoke exposure
- Increasing the number of businesses, organizations, and jurisdictions with comprehensive smoke-free policies
- Providing technical assistance to retailers to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal laws and implement healthy changes in the retail environment
- Working with local youth and young adults to make Sacramento County a tobacco-free community