Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States, resulting in the loss of 88 lives each day in Florida alone due to tobacco-related illnesses. The Monroe County Tobacco Prevention Program, run by the Florida Department of Health, aims to enhance the health of residents through policy and systems changes.
The program’s main goals are:
- Promoting cessation from tobacco use
- Preventing Tobacco use among youth and young adult
- Promoting policy change alongside point of sale retailers and tobacco targeted advertising in Monroe County
- Sustaining the infrastructure of the Tobacco-Free Florida Keys Partnership in Monroe County
- Eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke
- Promoting policy change alongside the K-12 Monroe County School District
- Promoting policy change in tobacco-free spaces such as Monroe County city owned beaches, parks and recreation areas
- Sustaining the infrastructure of Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) and the Tobacco Free Partnership
Tobacco Free Florida’s local prevention program aims to enhance the health of residents through policy and system changes. The program focuses on main goal areas like promoting cessation, preventing tobacco use among youth and young adults, eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke, and promoting policy change alongside K-12 school districts, Point-of-Sale retailers and city owned beaches, parks, and recreation centers to educate and/or create tobacco free spaces.
For more information regarding tobacco prevention in Monroe County, please contact Kimberly Stevens or Gayle Glover at 305-619-2916 or email DOHMonroe@FLHealth.gov.