Prescription Drug Initiative Teen Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Initiative Medication Assistance Program Obesity Initiative Health Disparities Initiative General Grants

TEEN TOBACCO USE PREVENTION AND CESSATION INITIATIVE

	Grants				100% Tobacco-Free School Campaign
	Quitline NC				Law Enforcement Allocation - Red Flad Campaign
	Pregnant Teen Tobacco Use Cessation Program				N-O-T (Not on Tobacco) Program
		Media Vendors			TRU (Tobacco. Reality. Unfiltered.)
	Outcomes Evaluation

Background
Tobacco use is the #1 cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 440,000 Americans each year.  It is also the leading cause of preventable death in North Carolina, and is primarily responsible for numerous deadly cancers and debilitating illnesses.  Despite these facts, thousands of kids in our state take up tobacco use each year.  And according to North Carolina’s 2005 Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS), the vast majority (82%) of NC students who have ever smoked tried their first cigarette before the age of 15.

Objective
Evidence shows that comprehensive school-based programs, combined with community and mass-marketing efforts, can effectively prevent or postpone the onset of youth smoking.  HWTF's Teen Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Initiative (TTUPC) leads the effort to accomplish its primary goal as defined by the General Assembly:  “to improve the health and wellness of the people of North Carolina, with a priority on preventing, reducing, and remedying the effects of tobacco use with an emphasis on reducing youth tobacco use”.

An Advisory Committee, comprised of five members of the Vision 2010 Coalition (a coalition of public and private health advocate organizations sharing the common goal of preventing and reducing the health effects of tobacco use) assisted the HWTF Teen Smoking Prevention and Cessation Task Force in establishing recommendations for the initiative's structure and priorities.

Conclusion
Since the inception of HWTF's efforts, including annual investments of at least $15 million in the TTUPC initiative, North Carolina has shown marked progress in reducing rates of youth tobacco use.  Thanks largely to increased HWTF funding and the gains made by grantees across the state, youth smoking rates have hit an historic low in North Carolina.  In fact, according to the 2005 YTS:

• 27,000 fewer high school and middle school students are current smokers than in 2003
• Current cigarette smoking among both middle and high school students dropped significantly since 2003:
  • High school from 27.3% in 2003 to 20.3% in 2005
  • Middle school from 9.3% in 2003 to 5.8% in 2005

In addition to this impressive decline in tobacco use among NC teens, substantial evidence exists that parents overwhelmingly support tobacco prevention efforts in North Carolina.  According to recent data from the NC State Center for Health Statistics, almost 60% said they had seen or heard about the TRU media campaign at least once.  More than 85% of those asked strongly supported making schools 100% tobacco-free.  And more than 90% of parents surveyed thought it very important for policymakers to take more steps to prevent and reduce tobacco use among NC children and adolescents.