News and Events
Collaborating to Clear the Air at Our Parks and Beaches
By Michelle Calandro
December 17, 2024
The Mission of the Tobacco Free Partnership (TFP) of Indian River County is to protect our community from the dangers of inhaled nicotine products and secondhand smoke exposure through evidence-based tobacco prevention and cessation strategies with an emphasis on youth and other disparate populations. Our work is guided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs, as mandated by the Florida Constitution.
Best Practices of prevention strategies include preventing initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults, promoting quit attempts among adults and youth, eliminating secondhand smoke exposure, and identifying and eliminating tobacco-related disparities among certain populations. Key in achieving this is our local Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) groups. Statewide, these groups of youth meet regularly to mobilize their peers and deglamorize Big-Tobacco. In Indian River County, we have three local groups, and we regularly participate in events to recruit more youth members.
On September 21, 2024 Students Working Against Tobacco Youth, Tobacco Free Partnership Members of Indian River County, and Tobacco Free Providers came together with Coastal Connections & Ocean Conservancy, for the International Beach Clean Up at Treasure Shores Beach in Vero Beach. All gathered to clean the beach, park, and parking lot. Checklists were used to identify what types of trash were collected. 44.5 lbs of trash was collected at Treasure Shores Beach. This site was a small part of the countywide event. Coastal Connections works tirelessly to organize and prepare this event in Indian River County every year. It takes the cooperation and support from community volunteers, government partners, non-profits, and other local businesses. Countywide 1,105 participants registered between 22 locations. There was a total of 36,362 pieces of debris removed, totaling 2,665 lbs. Cigarette Butts/Cigars were the 3rd highest item collected, totaling 3,816 pieces.
“Many people mistakenly believe cigarettes are biodegradable, and they may not think of the damages to our beaches and parks they are doing with this waste,” said Laura Corbin, bureau chief for Tobacco Free Florida. “We know cigarettes are harmful to anyone who uses them, but this cleanup is to bring attention to the fact that they also hurt our beautiful beaches, parks, and other shared spaces.”
Cigarette butts are by far the most littered item worldwide. Improperly discarded cigarette butts can degrade into thousands of microplastic fibers, release chemical compounds dangerous to human health, and be deadly to animal and marine life if swallowed. The site of a cigarette butt can also be a visual trigger for those trying to quit smoking, potentially leading to a slip-up or relapse. Removing discarded cigarette butts from public areas can help support cessation.
Since July 2022, more than 75 municipalities across 41 counties have passed ordinances restricting smoking and/or the use of tobacco products in Florida’s parks and beaches.
In December 2022, Indian River County officially adopted Ordinance 2022-017 for Tobacco Free Public Parks and Beaches. The Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County is currently planning next steps in working with decision makers to adopt a smoke free ordinance in the municipalities of Vero Beach, Sebastian, Fellsmere, Orchid and Indian River Shores.
For more information on joining our mission, reach out to Michelle Calandro at mcalandro@quitdoc.com.
