Our goal is to impact the greatest number of Orange County residents as a direct result of our work. This is possible through the implementation of county-wide tobacco-free policies that protect the health of our residents.
The Orange County Tobacco-Free Partnership is working on the implementation of policies in three main goal areas.
Goal 1 – Prevent Youth Initiation of Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults
Almost 90% of all smokers become addicted before they turn 18. If students get through high school without starting, the likelihood that they
will never smoke drastically increases. Because of this, the Orange County Tobacco-Free Partnership is currently working towards the implementation
of 3 policies that support our goal to prevent youth initiation of tobacco use.
Policy Prohibiting/Limiting Tobacco Industry Advertising - Retail Outlets
Policy to Implement Comprehensive Tobacco Control Model Policies in K-12 Schools
Goal 2 – Eliminate Secondhand Smoke Exposure
For years, it has been widely known that secondhand smoke exposure can be deadly. This fact was reiterated in the 2010 Report of the Surgeon General:
How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease that "there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. Any exposure to tobacco smoke – even an occasional
cigarette or exposure to secondhand smoke – is harmful." The Orange County Tobacco-Free Partnership is working towards the implementation of a
policy that will help us get closer to our goal to eliminate secondhand smoke exposure.
According to a recent study done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 15 million people try to quit using tobacco every day. Quitting is never easy, but there are many free resources available to the residents of Orange County. If residents want help with quitting, it is our job to make sure that they know what resources are available and how to access them. Therefore, our third goal is to promote cessation from tobacco use.