News and Events
The Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County and SWAT Set Goals for the New Year
July 1, 2021
The QuitDoc Foundation is elated to continue managing the tobacco prevention program in Indian River County for the upcoming year. The QuitDoc Foundation has run the program in Indian River County since 2012 and has seen a significant reduction in overall tobacco use. We hope to continue seeing a decline in tobacco use and continue our focus on addressing the youth vaping epidemic. Our work would not be possible without our community leaders and youth advocates who greatly impact this community through our Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco program.
Students Working Against Tobacco, or SWAT, is our youth-led advocacy group that focuses on educating peers on the dangers of tobacco use, including e-cigarettes. This year, we have five school-based SWAT clubs and the SWAT County Chapter, which is open to youth in grades 6-12. The work of SWAT is more crucial than ever as youth vaping rates in Indian River County remain high. SWAT will address high usage rates with education and outreach through their schools and in their community.
The Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County continues to meet regularly on the second Tuesday of the Month. In addition, the Partnership will continue its work alongside Students Working Against Tobacco and QuitDoc to address the policy and education priorities of the organization. The policy and education priorities for this year include:
Smoke-Free Multiunit Housing: There is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure. The tobacco prevention program firmly believes that everyone has a right to breathe clean air, especially in their home. The QuitDoc Foundation and Tobacco Free Partnership will be continuing their work from previous years in establishing tobacco-free policies in apartment complexes and condominiums to ensure that every resident has the right to clean air.
Tobacco-Free K-12 Schools: This year, the Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco will be working closely with the School District of Indian River County to strengthen the tobacco-free school policy. The Centers for Disease Control has found that comprehensive tobacco-free school policies are essential in reducing and preventing tobacco use by youth. With the continued high usage rates of electronic cigarettes among youth in Indian River County, working towards comprehensive tobacco-free school policies is one of our priorities.
Point of Sale: Tobacco promotion and access at the retail point of sale remains a high concern for the Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco. Last year, both organizations worked to pass two point of sale ordinances, strengthening tobacco control at the local level. Unfortunately, the signing of Senate Bill 1080 has impacted the organization's policy work at addressing concerns locally. However, the Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco are committed to continuing education efforts on the dangers of tobacco promotion and access at the retail point of sale.
For more information on joining our fight, reach out to Kyleigh Savoie at KSavoie@QuitDoc.com.
