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Tobacco Prevention Program

The Tobacco Prevention Program offers comprehensive tobacco prevention and control measures in Towner County in the following areas: Prevent Youth Initiation to Tobacco Us, Promote Cessation, Reduce and Eliminate Secondhand Smoke, Identify High Risk Groups for Use and Difficulty in Quitting. The Tobacco prevention Program operates on the best practices model set forth by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This model promotes research based prevention methods that are proven to be effective and will reach the whole community versus small group or one-to-one interventions. To learn more about ND's Strategic Plan to Reduce Tobacco Use, Saving Life - Saving Money

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Prevent Youth Initiation
To be effective at reducing youth initiation the focus must be on adults and social norm change rather than on adolescent tobacco use prevention. The intent of this social norm change is to create a social and legal environment where tobacco becomes less desirable, less acceptable, and less accessible. The following is what works in preventing youth from tobacco addiction:

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  • Increased tobacco tax visit: Benefits to Increased Tobacco Tax

  • Tobacco Free School Policies, Comprehensive policy that is 24/7 and prohibited tobacco use among students, staff, and visitors.

  • Comprehensive smoke free laws that cover work places and public places

  • Media campaigns with three consistent themes: the tobacco industry lies, nicotine is addictive, and secondhand smoke kills

  • Limiting and regulating tobacco products, activities, and influence (by adopting strong retailer licensing laws, requiring all schools to be tobacco free, removing the depiction of smoking in new youth-rated movies)

  • Increased cessation services

  • Tobacco free college campuses

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Promote Cessation
The ND Tobacco Quitline is the primary source to help tobacco users quit effectively. Quitline services are free and replacement therapy products are available to qualified callers. The best way to quit tobacco is to use social support and proper medication, the Quitline offers both to callers. On average 35% of Quitline members are tobacco free after one year compared to 5 % of people who are able to quit on their own. Call the Quitline today at 1-800-784-8669. Learn more at ND Tobacco Quitline.

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Reduce and Eliminate Secondhand Smoke
Millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes and workplaces despite substantial progress in tobacco control in recent years. The health harms can even be more substantial for the nonsmoker being around secondhand smoke. 38,000 people die annually due to secondhand smoke. Smoke free laws that cover all workplaces reduce heart attack rates for communities by 17% the first year and up to 36% by year three.

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To learn more about secondhand smoke and what scientific information are driving cities and states to adopt smoke free policies visit: Reasons for Cities to be Smoke Free and Summary of Surgeon Generals Report on Secondhand Smoke and Secondhand Smoke and Young Children Handout.

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Towner County Tobacco Free Coalition
The Towner County Tobacco Free Coalition is made up of community members who are passionate about making their community a healthier place to live, work, and play. The coalition meets bimonthly and breaks for the summer. Meetings are generally one hour.

If you are interested in serving as a volunteer please contact us at (701) 968-4353

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Related Links
North Dakota Department of Health - Tobacco Prevention and Control
Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Smoking and Tobacco Use
Comprehensive tobacco facts and legal data source
Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights
Smoke Free - Smoking cessation resource
Chew Free - Spit tobacco cessation resource


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Contact us for more information on the Tobacco Prevention Program.

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