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Program
Goals
Youth Prevention Strategies
Promote Quitting Strategies
Eliminate Exposure to Secondhand Smoke Strategies
Capacity Building Strategies
Smoking Complaints
Contact Information
Program Goals:
Activities provided directly by the Tobacco Prevention Program or
by subcontractors of Whatcom County Health Department
include the following program goals:
- Prevent youth from using tobacco or starting the deadly,
addictive habit.
- Promote quitting among youth and adults who currently
use tobacco.
- Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke or environmental
tobacco smoke (ETS).
- Build capacity to support community-based tobacco control
efforts, reduce duplication, and increase effectiveness
of existing activities.
Youth Prevention Strategies:
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Promote education to youth in community and school settings.
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Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU), peer education
program.
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Media Literacy training and interactive, skill-building
workshops.
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Resource Lending Library of videos, posters,
 pamphlets, and
teaching materials and visual aids.
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Train and mobilize youth to lead and participate in community and
state tobacco prevention activities.
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Whatcom Health Advocate Team (WHAT), a
youth-led coalition pf students age 13-18 who are dedicated to their community by promoting healthy lifestyle choices, exposing the dangers of tobacco and substance use, and are advocates for local policy change.
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Support for national tobacco awareness campaigns including
Great American Smokeout, Kick Butts Day, and World No Tobacco
Day
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Reduce youth access to tobacco through a retailer compliance check
program that checks and educates retailers about selling tobacco to
minors.
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Youth between the ages of 14-16 go out with Health Department staff and attempt to purchase cigarettes from
randomly selected retailers in the community.
Promote Quitting Strategies:
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Refer individuals to cessation resources available in the
 community
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Promote Washington State Free Quit Line, 1-800-QUIT-NOW to health
care providers, agencies, and individuals in the community.
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Provide training and resources to promote quitting within an
agency, business, or community group.
Eliminate Exposure to
Secondhand Smoke Strategies:
-
Educate the community about the harmful effects of secondhand
 smoke.
- Promote public policies that protect the community and individuals from harmful secondhand smoke.
- Promote smoke-free Whatcom County Parks.
- Educate about and enforce the Clean Indoor Air Act.
Capacity Building Strategies: 
- Facilitate a community advisory board to gain input from community on priority tobacco issues.
- Support activities to identify gaps and duplication in
community needs and resources.
- Provide technical assistance and training on tobacco
control issues.
Program Contact:
Heidi Wiersma
Tobacco Prevention Program
360-676-4593, Ext.30689
health@whatcomcounty.us
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