Tobacco Program

The mission of Tobacco-Free Partnership of Jackson County is to empower youths and adults to mobilize and coordinate the resources of Jackson County to create a tobacco free community through youth prevention, cessation activities, promotion of a tobacco free lifestyle, and reducing the tobacco industry's influence.

For more information, contact the Tobacco Prevention Specialist at 850-526-2412, Ext. 135.

Goals

1. Prevent Initiation of Tobacco Use among Youth and Young Adults
2. Eliminate Secondhand Smoke Exposure
3. Promote Cessation from Tobacco Use
4. Infrastructure - Create and maintain a local partnership and SWAT group

Second Hand Smoke

Passive smoking is still smoking:

• If you’re in the same room as a smoker and don’t light up, you’re still smoking.
• You are inhaling both the smoke blown in the air and the smoke that comes off the end of a burning cigarette.
• The smoke that comes off the burning end is actually more toxic than what the smoker inhales. Breathing it can be hazardous to your health.
• The tobacco toxins inhaled can cause Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, emphysema, and many other diseases.
• Second hand smoke contains 7,000 chemicals including 69 known cancer-causing substances.

Second Hand Smoke and Children

Children are innocent victims, unable to choose whether or not to be in a smoke-filled environment. Secondhand smoke can not only make children sick, it can kill them. Sudden infant death syndrome, crib death, is the major cause of death in the United States in infants between the ages of 1 month and 1 year.

Tobacco use during pregnancy is responsible for an estimated 20 to 30 percent of low-birth weight children. Research released in 1994 found that children of mothers who daily smoked a half-pack of cigarettes or more during pregnancy had lower IQ scores than children whose mothers had not smoked. Smoking in pregnancy is also associated with stunted growth. Middle ear problems, coughing, wheezing and asthma are reported with greater frequency in the homes of smokers.

Smoking Cessation

There are three (3) easy and free ways to quit:

1. Toll-free telephone-based tobacco use cessation quitline for adults and youth (1-877-U-CAN-NOW) or online at QuitNow.net.
2. Face-to-face 
3. 3 pro-active counseling sessions for adults; 10 for 18 years old and older and pregnant women; 5 for youths 11-17 years old with youth trained coaches
   • Counseling and material in English, Spanish, and translation service for all other languages and TDD services for the hearing impaired
   • Priority audiences include parents who smoke who have children under 18, Youth, and county health department clients and employees.
   • Any person living in Florida who is ready to make a quit attempt can use the quitline.

"Take Control of your health. Make the first move to quit smoking for LIFE. Your health is depending on it."

SWAT

Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) is Florida's statewide youth organization to mobilize, educate, and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. A united movement of Florida empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future.

The Jackson County SWAT chapter has the following SWAT clubs:

• Marianna High School SWAT
• Graceville Community SWAT
• St. Luke Community Church SWAT
• Grand Ridge Middle School SWAT
• New Hope Church SWAT (Two Egg Community)
• Malone Middle/High School SWAT
• Sneads High School SWAT

The Benefits of SWAT

The benefits of having a SWAT club in your community are powerful and far-reaching:

• Tobacco use will be lowered
• Participating students will have the opportunity to develop leadership skills not available through other organizations offered at a middle or high school level
• SWAT is an excellent resume builder
• Students will have experience planning events and activities, working with the media, developing their public speaking/presentation skills, and interacting with SWAT members throughout the state
• Your school will be involved in an effective state-wide movement working to eliminate tobacco use, the most important public health issue in the world
• SWAT allows students to be an important part of something that is bigger  than just their school or county