Tobacco Free St. Johns is a community-wide, locally organized group collectively working towards eliminating initiation and use of tobacco and alternative nicotine products among St. Johns County residents, supporting tobacco policy change and educating decision makers about the impact of tobacco use and nicotine addiction on the lives of St. Johns County residents and visitors.
Tobacco Free St. Johns is an action-oriented partnership generally meets every other month on the third Wednesday from 11:00am - 12:00pm. Membership is open to any St. Johns County citizen or organization that supports the goals of this partnership. To be included on the mailing list, please contact us!
2022/2023 Meeting Dates:
All meetings will be held at the HHS Kingfisher Conference Room
August 17, 2022
October 19, 2022
December 21, 2022
February 15, 2023
April 19, 2023
June 20, 2023
August 15, 2023
October 17, 2023
December 19, 2023
Youth tobacco use remains a major problem in St. Johns County. Findings from the 2020 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey highlight that approximately one in three (33%) youth aged 11-17 in our county report trying a tobacco product. Vaping is the leading form of youth tobacco use, with one in six (17%) youth in our county reporting they currently vape. The proportion who reported currently using a tobacco product increased from 14% in 2014 to 18.5% in 2020. This trend was driven by an increase in e-cigarette use. In addition, the majority (70%) of local youth report being exposed to secondhand smoke from cigarettes or vapor from e-cigarettes (Source: Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, 2020).
YOUTH VAPING ALERT
WHAT PARENTS AND EDUCATORS NEED TO KNOW
ALL pod-based vaping devices contain high amounts of nicotine. These products are addictive to youth brains. One in four teens that vape begin to use traditional tobacco within one year.
YOUTH VAPING ALERT
WHAT PARENTS AND EDUCATORS NEED TO KNOW
Our biggest concern with pod-based systems among young people is that they deliver (at the very least) the same amount of nicotine that is found in a pack of cigarettes. ALLsalt-based e-juice/liquid contains nicotine!
Nicotine is highly addictive. Nicotine is harmful to the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, and more.
Are you an educator? Here's FREE curriculum to incorporate into your classes.
YOUTH VAPING ALERT
WHAT PARENTS AND EDUCATORS NEED TO KNOW
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued information on this issue. They have many resources for parents and educators to help prevent a generation of children suffer from a lifetime of addiction.
Talk to your child.
From the Centers for Disease Control: The Parent Tip Sheet[5.2 MB] offers ideas for conversation starters. Print this for yourself or share it with your children. Ask them what they think after reading the tip sheet.
Teen-friendly app.
Live Vape Free is a program that empowers adults to become champions for teens looking to quit and arms teens with the tools and resources to help them throughout their quit journey. It’s a program that teens and parents can go to learn about the harms of e-cigarette use, hear from their peers and, most importantly, have a place to act when they are ready. For teens (13-17), you’ll get text support, interactive content, and one-on-one coach support to help you quit e-cigarettes.
Talk to your doctor.
If your child is struggling, don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about addiction counseling services available in your area. You can also talk to your doctor to discuss if nicotine replacement therapy could be appropriate for your child. Do not allow your child to use nicotine replacement therapy without consulting your doctor.
Programs & Information
Could we help? Here's our service request form
Juvenile Tobacco Citation Education Class
Compliance Information
Persons under the age of 18 caught in possession, use or purchase of tobacco or nicotine products are committing a noncriminal violation. Minors will be issued a citation by law enforcement, punishable by:
1st Violation: Pay $30 fine, or complete 16 hours of community service, AND attend the approved anti-tobacco education class within 30 days.
2nd Violation within 12 weeks: Pay additional $30 fine within 30 days.
3rd Violation within 12 weeks: Driver’s license revoked or issuance withheld.
If your child received a tobacco citation, click here for the information brochure. The required education class is taught by EPIC Behavioral Healthcare.
If your child needs to complete the Tobacco Citation Education Class, you must visit www.epicbh.org/tobacco to register.
Cessation
Quit YOUR Way with Tobacco Free Florida
We know quitting can be very hard, but it’s not impossible. In fact, there are more former smokers than current smokers in Florida. With the right help, resources, and the support to keep you going, Tobacco Free Florida can give you the best chance to quit for good. For each person, overcoming nicotine addiction is different and we can help you choose a path to quitting that works for you.
Tobacco Free Florida offers a number of free and convenient resources to help tobacco users quit. Click here for more information.
Youth Advocacy: SWAT
Empowering Florida's Teens
Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) is Florida's statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future.
Youth in SWAT are engaged in activities that educate their peers and policy makers about the need to change social norms related to tobacco. SWAT not only promotes leadership, but also helps develop speaking skills and creates opportunities for youth to grow as community advocates. On a local level, SWAT members participate in leadership workshops, local parades, commercial contests, art contests, writing contests, and various other anti-tobacco programming. Students participate in local events such as: Relay for Life, carnivals, community wellness events, parades, leadership retreats, youth rallies, & peer education activities.
To learn more about the Florida SWAT program, visit www.swatflorida.com. If you are interested in learning how to join the St. Johns County SWAT Chapter, please email our Community Engagement Specialist, Jacqueline Rush at jacqueline@civcom.com.
Tobacco-Free Colleges
Protecting Young Adults
While smoking is banned inside buildings, not all school campuses in Florida have comprehensive policies that restrict smoking and the use of other tobacco products on all of their properties or at their events. Comprehensive tobacco-free campus policies are an important step in building a healthier future. These policies create a safe and healthy environment for students, faculty, and staff, while sending a clear message that tobacco use is dangerous and that it’s not a socially acceptable behavior. De-normalizing tobacco use through positive role modeling is one important step. If students don’t see adults at their schools using tobacco, then they’ll be less likely to think tobacco is acceptable and will be less likely to ever start.
Tobacco-Free Outdoor Spaces
Protecting Kids & the Environment
Not only do tobacco products devastate the human body, they cause havoc on the environment–ending up in our waterways, along beaches and in our parks. Cigarette butts account for an extraordinary amount of waste. An estimated 1.69 billion pounds, or 845,000 tons, of cigarette butts accumulate as litter in lakes, in oceans, on beaches and on the rest of the planet annually. Only 10 percent of cigarette butts are properly deposited in ash receptacles. In fact, cigarettes and cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world. Tobacco Free St. Johns and SWAT members volunteer to clean-up local beaches and parks to bring awareness to the environmental impact of tobacco product litter. By educating community members about secondhand smoke and environmental issues of tobacco, we hope that more tobacco users will reconsider using tobacco in parks, playgrounds and beaches.
Tobacco-Free Workplaces
Healthy Employees for a Healthier Bottomline
We assist employers in developing tobacco-free workplace policies. Creating a tobacco-free workplace not only provides a healthier environment for all employees, but also a supportive environment for employees who are in the process of quitting. Tobacco-free workplaces also protect customers and clients from secondhand smoke exposure and reduce tobacco product litter.
Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing
Limiting Exposure to Secondhand Smoke
We work with local apartment and condo communities to identify and implement smoke-free policy strategies that can create healthier environments for their residents–and a healthier bottom line for the landlord. Smoke-free apartments are less expensive to rehabilitate for new renters and some insurance companies provide discounts for smoke-free property policies.
Learn more about the Florida Apartment Association's smoke-free housing certification program here.
Summer 2023 Internship
Tobacco Free St. Johns is seeking a Flagler College or University of North Florida student to serve as a Health Policy Communications Intern. This position will contribute to a variety of local initiatives designed to prevent addiction and save lives.
The intern will serve as policy communication campaign assistant for a variety of projects including work with our SWAT Clubs; research and write articles on tobacco prevention and control topics; implement tobacco-free partnership community communications plan; provide input to management team on young adult initiative goal area strategy plans in St. Johns County. Additionally, this position will be responsible for researching funding opportunities and preparing grants. This is a great opportunity for a communications, sociology or environmental studies student interested in Northeast Florida public health issues.
Members
Meet our leaders! Want to become a member?
Contact Us
Tobacco Free St. Johns
Email: tobaccofreestjohns@gmail.com
© 2023