Tobacco Use Prevention
Tobacco use is the single greatest avoidable cause of disease and death in Georgia. According to The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General, many millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes and workplaces despite substantial progress in tobacco control. Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children. Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer.
Smoking initiation occurs mostly in youth, which makes our children the most vulnerable population to cigarette addiction. Tobacco use is not only a health threat to our youth, it is an educational threat as well! According to the National School Board Association, “tobacco use impairs learning among our students and is associated with increased dropout rates”!
The earlier tobacco use begins, the more likely a lifestyle pattern will develop that includes tobacco use, resulting in increased risk for tobacco-related illnesses such as lung cancer, heart disease, and emphysema. Tobacco use costs Georgia more than $5 billion every year, and more than 10,000 Georgians die every year from tobacco-related illnesses – that is one out of every six deaths in adult Georgians! Adult smokers lose an average of 17 years of life compared to adult non-smokers.
GASN stands against this bleak future for Georgia’s students and staff! The resources on this site are provided to assist School Nurses across the state to educate students, staff and parents against tobacco use and provide tools that can be used to support cessation and even elimination of tobacco use initiation.
Please click HERE to read GASN's Position Statement on Tobacco and schools.
Use the following resources and tools to join us to eliminate the harmfule health and education effects of tobacco use among Georgia staudents and staff!
School Fax Back Sheet YOUTH SUMMIT EVENTS:
Fax Back Q&A Chatham Flyer - March 5th
Proposed Policy Albany Flyer - March 19th
National School Board Assoc Position Paper Valdosta Area Flyer - March 26th
NSBA Powerful Poster - You NEED to download and print this out!
Sample: Tobacco Free Schools PSA Waycross and Dublin Flyer - April 2nd
TF Schools Assessment Tool Athens/Augusta Flyer - April 23rd
Tobacco Data Power Point Presentation
MAP of Tobacco Free School Systems Statewide Flyer - October 2011
Tobacco Use Among Youth
Youth Cessation
Quitline Brochure We're proud of what Georgia School Nurses are doing to stop tobacco use!
TFS Football Game PSA's Ideas and Pictures:
Quit Line Soccer Brochure Kathy Poss in Elbert Co. - Summary and pic1, and pic2
Tobacco-Related Fact Sheets:
Harms of Smoking and Benefits of Quitting
Withdrawal Symptoms and Triggers
Kick Butt Day
The following list of school districts have exhibited leadership in eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke and reducing teen tobacco use in Georgia by passing the 100% Tobacco Free School Policy for their system: (not in order of policy adoption)
1. Liberty County Schools
2. Marietta City Schools
3. Muscogee County Schools
4. Hancock County Schools
5. Douglas County Schools
6. Charlton County Schools
7. McDuffie County Schools
8. Effingham County Schools
9. Worth County Schools
10. Glynn County Schools
11. Carroll County Schools
12. Lamar County Schools
13. Meriwether County Schools
14. Atlanta City Schools
15. City of Decatur Schools
16. Clayton County Schools
17. Bleckley County Schools
18. Gwinnett County Schools
19. Washington County Schools
20. Laurens County Schools
21. Clay County Schools
22. Brantley County Schools
23. Long County Schools
24. Troup County Schools
25. Cobb County Schools
26. Trion City Schools
27. Dougherty County Schools
28. Valdosta City Schools
29. Griffin-Spaulding Schools
30. Richmond County Schools
31. Taylor County Schools
32. Columbia County Schools
33. DeKalb County Schools
34. Rome City Schools
35. Fulton County Schools
36. Floyd County Schools
37. Baldwin County Schools
38. Wayne County Schools
39. Jefferson County Schools
40. Rockdale County Schools
41. Wheeler County Schools
42. Calhoun City Schools
43. Ware County Schools
44. Dublin City Schools
45. Hart County Schools
46. Dawson County Schools
47. Chattooga County Schools
48. McIntosh County Schools
49. Franklin County Schools
50. Miller County Schools
51. Thomaston-Upson Schools
52. Treutlen County Schools
53. Putnam County Schools
54. Monroe County Schools
55. Schley County Schools
56. Butts County Schools
57. Gainesville City Schools
58. Fayette County Schools
59. Bulloch County Schools
60. Carrollton City Schools
61. Crawford County Schools
62. Evans County Schools
63. Dooly County Schools
64. Lincoln County Schools
65. Pike County Schools
66. Tattnall County Schools
67. Wilkinson County Schools
68. Gordon County Schools
69. Polk County Schools
70. Dodge County Schools
71. Elbert County Schools
72. Savannah-Chatham Schools
73. Dalton City Schools
All school districts are eligible to receive signage, training in Alternative To Suspension, Not On Tobacco school-based youth prevention and cessation interventions, and Asthma Case Management planning for schools conducted by the American Lung Association. In addition, earned media campaigns are to be developed to educate the public about the new policy in preparation for the current and upcoming school year. Continue to promote and disseminate Quit Line and Ga. Smokefree Air materials throughout these schools districts. Youth and adults will be motivated to quit due to your efforts. See the attached updated map and spreadsheet of all of the leaders in the state of Georgia. Also, you will find our new data on youth tobacco use in Georgia.
Our new baseline is 73out of 181 and counting! Approximately 1,025,744 youth are protected by a policy that eliminates exposure to the dangers of secondhand smoke at 1,348 GA schools! Eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke in seventy school districts is a major milestone. Thank you all for your support in reducing teen tobacco use in Georgia!
Georgia TUPP TEAM
