News and Events
The Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County sets goals for the 2024-2025
August 1, 2024
The Tobacco Free Partnership (TFP) of Indian River County kicked off our new fiscal year with award recognitions and setting new goals. TFP Chair- Derek Weintraub, Tashan Kilkenny of United Against Poverty, Michele Buldo of SAFIR, and Special Agent Smith were recognized for their outstanding commitment and contribution to tobacco prevention in Indian River County through the Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County in fiscal year 2023-2024. The Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County meets quarterly on the 3rd Tuesday of the first month of the quarter. In addition, the Partnership continues its work alongside Students Working Against Tobacco and QuitDoc Foundation to address the policy and education priorities of the organization. The policy and education priorities for this year include: |
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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 continue their work from previous years in establishing tobacco-free policies in apartment complexes and assisted living facilities to ensure that every resident has the right to clean air.
Smoke-Free Parks & Beaches: Florida has been making strides towards creating tobacco-free public spaces. Many cities and counties, including Indian River County, have implemented ordinances to ban smoking at public parks and beaches. These measures aim to protect public health, reduce litter, and support those trying to quit smoking. On July 24, 2024 TFP Vice Chair, Justin Knott, requested that the Sebastian City Council adopt a smoke free park ordinance. We are excited to announce that there was a consensus for the city council to review the proclamation. This fiscal year, the TFP will continue to educate the municipalities of Vero Beach, Sebastian, and Fellsmere on the benefits of adopting smoke free policies.
Tobacco-Free K-12 Schools: This year, the Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco are 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. We have already seen movement toward the schoolboard adopting the final NEOLA recommended policy after TFP Chair, Derek Weintraub, presented information at the Schoolboard meeting on July 22, 2024. This led to Derek meeting with the Director of Student Services, Heather Holden, who will be discussing next steps with the schoolboard members.
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. The Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco are committed to continuing educational efforts on the dangers of tobacco promotion and access at the retail point of sale. We started the fiscal year off by partnering with SWAT students to conduct surveillance and check for compliance with “Corrective Statements Signage” at local tobacco retailers.
For more information on joining our fight, reach out to Michelle Calandro at mcalandro@quitdoc.com.
