News and Events

Tobacco Free Partnership Set Goals for 2019-2020
August 15, 2019

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County will continue their work from previous years. Goal areas include creating tobacco free environments, decreasing tobacco and electronic cigarette use in public and private recreational environments and events, and pursuing policies relating to electronic nicotine delivery systems.

One of the primary concerns of the tobacco-free partnership is youth access and usage of electronic nicotine delivery systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in four high school students has admitted to using an electronic cigarette device. The partnership is continuing their efforts to educate youth, parents, and decision-makers surrounding the dangers of these devices.

In their efforts to educate decision-makers about the dangers of electronic cigarettes, tobacco-free partnership members spoke to individual county commissioners about tobacco retail licensing.  The goal of a tobacco retail license is to allow individual counties to control how tobacco and nicotine products are sold within the county and limit youth access to harmful products. Tobacco retail licensing is one of the policy goals for the Tobacco Free Partnership this year, as well as for other Partnerships across the State.

     

Following the meeting, Tobacco Free Partnership members Marie Blanchard and Pedro Barnabe spoke before the Board of County Commissioners on August 13th where policy change was being considered. They discussed the importance of a tobacco retail license that could reduce youth access to electronic cigarettes for Indian River County. Partners shared their concern surrounding the lack of regulation over electronic cigarette devices and the youth vaping epidemic.

Marie Blanchard, partnership member and SWAT Advisor, also shared her experience working with youth and the importance of protecting them from the harmful products. Products containing nicotine harm the developing brains of teens and young adults, reducing impulse control, attention, and cognition.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County meets the first Wednesday of every month, for more information or to join as a volunteer, email ksavoie@quitdoc.com.