News and Events

Together, We Can Reduce the Toll of Tobacco Use on Our Community
February 21, 2023

For the past few years, creating a safer environment by pushing for more tobacco-free events and venues in DeSoto County has been at the forefront of our focus. Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, but it does not have to be.

Our Tobacco Free Partnership and SWAT Youth Members set up a booth at the 2023 DeSoto County Fair to raise awareness on the importance of reducing social norms of tobacco use in our rural community and to educate attendees on the dangers associated with tobacco use and secondhand smoke.

We are working hard to recruit new members, work with local government to implement policy change, and present tobacco education and prevention to our community. SWAT youth created a selfie booth and encouraged youth to join their club and commit to being a non-user. In addition, booth attendees were educated on the effects of secondhand smoke, given information on how smoking is twice the price: cigarettes harm your health and waste your wealth. Quit Your Way program details were shared with users who were encouraged to quit, and attendees were encouraged to support tobacco free spaces. Read More

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DeSoto County SWAT Chapter: Raising Awareness in the Community
January 24, 2023

SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) is Florida's statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco.

SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future. SWAT works to change the social norms associated with tobacco. This means we want to change the way people think about tobacco… making it less desirable, less acceptable, and less accessible.

SWAT Youth accomplish this by advocating for change in local policies that affect how tobacco is marketed, how it is sold, and where it can be used. SWAT members can typically expect to participate in a wide range of activities including community education and outreach, public speaking, collecting data, and media advocacy.

On January 24, 2023 our SWAT youth presented to the Board of County Commissioners’ to educate on the 2022 legislation act for “Clean Air.” Legislation has revised this act by giving counites and cities an ordinance to restrict any tobacco products in their county and city parks. SWAT youth, Weslyn Mercer and Rylee Shaver asked the BOCC to take this new legislation act into consideration and add the ordinance to their future agenda. Read More

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Saturday Night Lights goes Tobacco Free!
December 13, 2022

Most people today realize the threat tobacco use poses to their health. The serious health risks have been discussed for decades in school health classes, by parents, doctors and prevention experts and programs. While tobacco use continues to decline, we still have at risk communities all over the United States that have much higher usage rates than others.

Research has shown that rural communities like DeSoto County are more heavily affected by tobacco use. In fact, the health of people living in rural areas is impacted by tobacco use more so than those in urban and metropolitan areas, often because of socioeconomic factors such as lower levels of education, and higher levels of unemployment.

In many communities across the State of Florida, the use of tobacco, and exposure to second-hand smoke are accepted as a fact of life, but they don't have to be. Implementing a tobacco free policy helps create a safe and healthy environment for all. The negative health effects of tobacco use for both users and nonusers, particularly in connection with secondhand smoke, are well established and known to cause serious lung diseases, heart disease and cancer.

Saturday Night Lights is in their 6th season of free, family fun. This event(s) is held the second Saturday of the month October through February. The night kicks off with live music, vendors, bounce houses, and more. There is always a local food vendor – these are various groups throughout the community (churches, clubs, or civic organizations) who set up free of cost to the event and keep all their profits. Each month brings a new theme, and they periodically have prize giveaways. At sundown, a family movie (brand new release and age appropriate) is projected in the pavilion at the Tree of Knowledge. Families bring blankets, chairs, etc. and hang the rest of the evening. DeSoto County is a rural community with very little to do, so these events bring in families from diverse populations. Read More

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DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Members Are Working Hard to Promote the Dangers of Tobacco Use in our Local Parks
November 5, 2022

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill into law which could have a major positive impact on Floridians health. The Florida Clean Air Act is an update to an existing law which targets vaping and tobacco smoking in public spaces. Under this new law, local governments are now allowed to restrict smoking at public beaches and public parks which they own. The new law is designed to protect people from secondhand smoke and crack down on the abundance of litter from cigarette butts in recreational spaces.

SWAT Youth have been busy at work educating our community on the dangers of tobacco use and how it can harm users and non-users through secondhand smoke. Although, our small community took a devastating hit from Hurricane Ian and our schools were closed for some time, our students have done a great job being active in the community.

On November 5th, two of our SWAT youth from the new community club attended the regional SWAT meeting that was held in Lakeland, FL. We appreciate Jaliyah Luther and Gracie Sager taking time out of their weekend to represent our county at the meeting and learn more about our new goal area of reducing tobacco use and exposure in Public Spaces. They acquired knowledge and talking points on how to better educate our community in this area. Jaliyah and Gracie enjoyed the training and being able to converse with other SWAT members from different counties to get ideas for our SWAT clubs. Read More

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The DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Chapter is Gearing Up for the 2022-2023 School Year!
September 19, 2022

SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) is Florida’s statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future.

Our DeSoto SWAT kicked the 2022-23 school year off with a back-to-school drive for the community. Where we were able to contribute school supplies to our district while educating on the rising trend of tobacco and vaping in our youth. Also, our SWAT youth participated in an Open House recruitment booth at the High School. During open house they were able to recruit 15 new members for the SWAT chapter. We are beyond proud that our numbers are continuing to rise in our local SWAT chapter. Desoto High School SWAT members also participated in a Health Fair where they educated on tobacco and vape use in our youth.

We are continuing to work with the DeSoto County School Board to implement a stronger tobacco free policy within our school district. Our SWAT Youth have been present over the summer educating board members on recent data, trends they see in schools, and briefly sharing on the recent updates available to the board via NEOLA, an organization our district is partnered with who provides board policies that secure the quality of teaching and learning and provide direction to enhance the school environment. The suggested NEOLA policy would close the gaps in current policy and create a comprehensive tobacco free environment for DeSoto County Schools. Read More

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The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Kicks Off
Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Strong
September 14, 2022

The mission of the Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County is to mobilize community partners to establish long-lasting system and policy changes that promote tobacco-free social norms to prevent usage of tobacco products by youth/young adults, encourage and support tobacco cessation, eliminate health hazards of secondhand smoke, and decrease the number of deaths due to tobacco products.

To protect people, especially youth, from the hazards of using and being exposed to tobacco products, we work on many initiatives here locally. TFP Members gathered on September 7th for our first Partnership meeting of the new fiscal year. We had many key stakeholders in attendance who spent time strategically planning our scope of work over the next year here in DeSoto County.

A few of the SMART goals identified were:

Provide all residents with clean, breathable air by implementing Tobacco Free Parks Policies in City and County owned parks and recreational facilities
Reduce the social norms associated with tobacco use in our rural community by helping various organizations adopt Tobacco Free Events and Venues policies
Partner with DeSoto County School District to reduce youth vaping rates, particularly by strengthen board policy and encouraging our schools to utilize the free, age-appropriate online youth vaping citation courses available to elementary, middle, and high school students
Continue to recruit new, engaged members to our TFP and SWAT Youth, as well as gain more traction by volunteering and being present at local community wide events.

In addition to laying out the focus of our year, TFP Members elected five new board members to represent our Partnership. Our TFP Board of Directors for fiscal year 2022-2023 are: Kandis Drymon, Heather Fugate, Mitchell Johnson, Andrew Proudfit, and Asya Shine.
Read More

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Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates a Year of Success!
May 12, 2022

Tobacco Free Partnership Members and Students Working Against Tobacco Youth gathered on May 12, 2022, to recognize their efforts to educate and prevent tobacco use and social norms within our community. In addition to celebrating a year of hard work, a few special members were acknowledged for their outstanding contribution towards a tobacco free future in DeSoto County.

Adan Morales, DHS SWAT Youth President and 2021-2022 SWAT Youth of the Year,
and Lindsey Sager, DeSoto County Tobacco Prevention Specialist.

Adan Morales was recognized as our 21-22 SWAT Youth of the Year. His leadership and willingness to help has been invaluable. He has put in countless hours of volunteer work and has shown an outstanding dedication towards creating a tobacco free future. In addition to being the DHS SWAT Club president, Adan was a member of the Interact and SADD Clubs at the high school. Adan helped plan school wide campaigns in honor of Not a Lab Rat and Kick Butts Day. He volunteered at various community events, including but not limited to statewide and regional meetings, Through with Chew Week and Tobacco Free Florida Week festivities. Adan has been a major asset to our SWAT Youth Program and will be missed! Read More

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The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates Tobacco Free Florida Week with a Focus on Mental Health
May 8, 2022

Each year, Tobacco Free Florida celebrates Tobacco Free Florida Week - an initiative focusing on a major public health issue connected to tobacco use. This year, Tobacco Free Florida was observed May 8 – 14 and aligned with Mental Health Awareness Month.

Tobacco Free Florida used the theme “Mental Health Equals Mental Wealth: Overcoming the Influences of Tobacco on the Mind.” to address and correct misconceptions, including that tobacco provides an alternative when people feel stressed or anxious. Part of this traces back to decades ago, with tobacco companies marketing heavily to those with mental health issues and promoting myths and falsehoods about supposed health benefits of tobacco use(1).

People with behavioral and mental health conditions are especially susceptible to the effects of tobacco. Nearly 25% of adults in the United States have a mental health or substance use disorder and these adults consume almost 40% of all cigarettes smoked by adults in the U.S.

TFP Members were honored to celebrate TFFW in partnership with All Faith’s Food Bank. Pictured left to right: Asya Shine, Jodie DeLoach, Gracie Sager, Lindsey Sager, Heather Fugate

This year’s theme highlights the fact that tobacco and nicotine use can lead to negative health consequences among individuals with mental and/or behavioral health conditions(2). People with behavioral health conditions die about five years earlier than people without such conditions, and more than 50% of these deaths are from tobacco-related diseases(3).
Read More

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Cheap and Visible Tobacco Products Enter Our Community in the Retail Environment
March 8, 2022

The tobacco industry spends most of their marketing money in the retail environment to promote their products, in which, most of their marketing efforts are aimed directly to our kids. Essentially, the tobacco industry is buying shelf and advertising space to keep tobacco visible and offering price discounts to keep tobacco cheap. These companies are no fool, what they are really “buying” is youth who initiate - adults who can’t quit!

In efforts to combat these marketing tactics, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County has been elbow deep in the retail realm of the tobacco industry for years. We have conducted several rounds of tobacco retail assessments from 44+ retailers, nearly every licensed tobacco retailer in DeSoto County.

The retail point of sale (POS) is comprised of three main categories: (a) point-of-sale advertisements, (b) price discounts (c) coupons. This is a very comprehensive and lengthy process as the metrics under which retailers are monitored include – types of tobacco products, product placement, pricing promotions, tobacco advertisements, the availability of tobacco ‘lookalike’ products, etc.

This is an example of a tobacco look alike item found at Murphy Gas Station –Jerky Chew. Products such as these are attractive to youth, which increases their likelihood of tobacco initiation in the future.

Read More

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DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Youth Recognize Through With Chew Week
February 26, 2022

This year, the annual Through With Chew Week was February 20-26, 2022. The objective of the campaign is to educate others about the dangers of smokeless tobacco.

Smokeless tobacco is still tobacco and not a safe alternative to smoking. It contains at least 28 cancer causing chemicals that can cause gum disease, tooth decay and tooth loss. Users of smokeless tobacco products have higher risks for tobacco-related diseases than non-tobacco users.

Many smokeless tobacco products come in flavors and packaging that appeal to young people. Candy and fruit flavors mask the bad taste of tobacco, making it easier for youth and teens to start using tobacco. With a new range of products and flavors on the market, there are more opportunities for young people to experiment with tobacco. Adolescent smokeless tobacco users are also more likely than nonusers to become adult cigarette smokers.

Studies have shown that young people are particularly influenced by tobacco use in sports. Professional baseball players, who have traditionally had high levels of smokeless tobacco use, serve as role models. While smokeless tobacco use has been banned in minor league baseball and in the NCAA since the early 1990s, it’s still allowed in the major leagues.
Read More

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DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco Youth are Working Hard to Educate on the Dangers of Tobacco Use
December 13, 2021

Our DeSoto SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) kicked the 21-22 school year off with a bang. Youth have been busy the past several months educating their peers and the community on the dangers associated with tobacco and vape use and secondhand smoke.

We believe in quality over quantity, but beyond proud to say our local SWAT numbers have more than double since kicking off the new school year in August. We recently established a new club at West Elementary School where our 5th graders are now able to participate in the mission of SWAT and help educate their younger peers. Our DeSoto Middle School Club is up nearly 40 new members this year alone. In addition, our high school club has also recruited new active members, as well as adults, who are helping volunteer their time to spread awareness and reduce the use of social norms and tobacco use in our community.

DeSoto Middle School SWAT Youth (Caleigh Duke, Liam Gilmore, and Gracie Sager) receive a Red Ribbon Week proclamation from Commissioner JC Deriso after presenting to BOCC Members.

In addition to becoming more active within their individual schools, our SWAT Youth are working hard to spread awareness and become more present within the community. On December 12th, DeSoto SWAT Youth presented at our Board of County Commissioners meeting, educating them on current youth tobacco rates and the continued epidemic we see with youth vaping. Youth shared Florida Youth Tobacco Survey results and what they are seeing in their schools. They also shared their plans for Red Ribbon Week and received a proclamation. Read More

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The Tobacco Free Partnership and DeSoto County Sheriff's Office Work to Strengthen Enforcement of Tobacco Sales in DeSoto County
December 8, 2021

To protect people, especially youth, from the hazards of using and being exposed to tobacco products, we work on many initiatives here locally. One major area of concern we have been working on lately is raising awareness on tobacco at the retail point of sale.

The tobacco industry spends millions of dollars in the retail environment – marketing efforts are aimed directly at our kids. Essentially, the tobacco industry is buying shelf space to keep tobacco visible and offering price discounts to keep tobacco cheap. These companies are no fool, what they are really “buying” is youth who initiate – who become adults who can’t quit!

In 2019, The federal government declared youth vaping a nationwide epidemic and we have deeply felt that impact on our local community. According to the 2020 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, 29.9% of youth in DeSoto County ages 11-17 have tried electronic vaping.

In efforts to combat this epidemic, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County has been deep in the retail realm of the tobacco industry for the past several years conducting local Tobacco Retail Assessments, meeting with retailers to ensure compliance, educating decision makers, and now, partnering with local law enforcement to crack down on sales to minors. Read More

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Learn About the Mission of the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County!

The Mission of the Tobacco Free Partnership (TFP) of DeSoto County is to protect our community from the dangers of inhaled nicotine products and secondhand smoke exposure through evidence-based tobacco prevention and cessation strategies with an emphasis on youth and other disparate populations. Our work is guided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs, as mandated by the Florida Constitution.

Best Practices of prevention strategies include preventing initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults, promoting quit attempts among adults and youth, eliminating secondhand smoke exposure, and identifying and eliminating tobacco-related disparities among certain populations.

Key in achieving this is our local Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) groups. Group of youth meet regularly to mobilize their peers and deglamorize Big-Tobacco. DeSoto County has four SWAT clubs who are actively engaged in local events including but not limited to conducting recruitment activities, celebrating national tobacco holidays, and gaining exposure in our community by presenting to decision makers, such as DeSoto County Board of County Commissioners and DeSoto County School Board. In addition, youth have participated in local chamber events such as the Christmas parade and Christmas Card Lane to raise awareness and recruit more youth members.
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Lindsey Sager joins the QuitDoc Team in DeSoto County!
July 30, 2021

The QuitDoc Foundation is pleased to welcome Lindsey Sager as the new Tobacco Prevention Specialist in DeSoto County. Lindsey will be overseeing the K-12 and SWAT goal areas, and helping facilitate the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County, a coalition of community leaders working together on tobacco issues that affect the residents of DeSoto County, particularly its most vulnerable residents: our youth.

Lindsey comes to QuitDoc Foundation from the DeSoto County School District. She has 8 years’ experience teaching various grades ranging from first to sixth. During her time as an educator, she’s volunteered numerous hours being an active member in the community with many committees and non-profit groups. Lindsey is a hard-working individual with a true heart for the youth in our community. In fact, she was named the 2021 DeSoto County Middle School Teacher of the Year. In addition, she served as the Department Leader, Middle School Cheerleading Sponsor, SAC, a participant on the summer planning board, and served on countless other clubs and organizations.

“I am beyond exited to represent DeSoto County as QuitDoc’s newest team member,” said Lindsey. “Implementing the education, prevention and treatment of tobacco in our community is a true passion of mine.” Read More

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The QuitDoc Foundation Continues to Advocate for a Tobacco Free Future in DeSoto County
July 1, 2021

In 2007 Florida’s voters overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment, Article X, Section 27. This amendment called for establishing a comprehensive tobacco education and prevention program, and thus, the Tobacco Free Florida (TFF) program was born. Every county in the state of Florida has its own local tobacco control program which includes partners and stakeholders in the community. These local partnerships are administered through the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida (BTFF) and funded by money derived from the state’s tobacco settlement agreement which took place in 1997 against major tobacco companies.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County has been facilitated by the QuitDoc Foundation since 2009. For the past 12 years, we have implemented youth prevention programs, such as the Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Clubs, programs to reduce tobacco use in rural communities, projects to create tobacco free organizations, and measures to counteract tobacco marketing in retail environment. Our partnership is dedicated to the creation of tobacco-free social norms through many initiatives, and we are pleased to continue our efforts here locally.

First and foremost, we work relentlessly to protect our most vulnerable and valuable asset, our Youth. SWAT is Florida's statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate, and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future. SWAT Youth work to change the way people view tobacco as well as reduce the social norms associated with tobacco use - making it less desirable, less acceptable, and less accessible. Read More

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Tobacco-Free Partnership Members of DeSoto County Honored for Their Dedication to a Tobacco Free Future
May 20, 2021

While the past year was not ideal from many standards, our local partnership made the best of the reality we were given and trudged forward with tobacco prevention work in DeSoto County.

On May 20, 2021 our DeSoto SWAT Youth and TFP Members gathered for our end of the year banquet. In addition to celebrating a year of many unknowns and a lot of perseverance, we were able to honor a few members for their outstanding contribution towards a tobacco free future.

Heather Rogers was chosen as our 2020-2021 Tobacco Free Partnership Member of the Year. Heather graduated from Florida Atlantic University where she obtained a degree in Sociology. She was an educator in Highlands County for many years before joining the Hanley Foundation team that now serves Manatee, DeSoto, Highlands, and Hardee County. While she has a vast workload, she always goes above and beyond to give DeSoto the attention it deserves! Over the past year, she has helped our partnership in many ways, including but not limited to: presenting to decision makers, educating youth, and conducting Point Of Sale Store Assessments to help combat marketing tactics in DeSoto County.

“Heather, Prevention Specialist, joined Hanley Foundation in January of 2020 and has been an invaluable member to Hanley and more personally, to my team. She is passionate about education and prevention and knows the value of community and relationships. She is smart, dependable, kind, talented, loyal and so much more. I am so excited for her and proud of her for the well-deserved recognition by The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County.” Jennifer Venuto, LCSW, Prevention Coordinator for Hanley Foundation. Read More

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COVID and Social Distancing Can’t Keep DeSoto SWAT Youth from Advocating for The First Tobacco Free Generation
May 20, 2021

SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) is Florida's statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future. SWAT works to change the social norms associated with tobacco. This means we want to change the way people think about tobacco… making it less desirable, less acceptable, and less accessible.

DHS SWAT Youth conducted a teddy bear drive to donate to local law enforcement officers to hand out to kids on emerging calls.

DMS SWAT Youth inform our community that DMS is a Vape Free Zone

While the 2020-2021 year was challenging on many levels, our clubs did their best, while being respectful of social distancing measures, to remain as active as possible getting valuable information out to their peers and our community. A few local projects our SWAT Youth were able to conduct this past year included a teddy bear drive for local law enforcement officers, educating peers about various national tobacco control holidays, including Not A Lab Rat Day, hosting educational bulletin boards in their schools, sponsoring anti-vaping fence messaging at DeSoto Middle School, and many more. Read More

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DeSoto SWAT Youth Proudly Sport Their SWAT Mask and Encourage Their Peers to Spread Love Not COVID
March 15, 2021

In addition to being required to wear a mask on any DeSoto County School District Campus, DeSoto County SWAT youth want our community members to know that smoking increases the risk of both bacterial and viral infections.

The harms of tobacco use are well-established. Tobacco causes 8 million deaths every year from cardiovascular diseases, lung disorders, cancers, diabetes, and hypertension. Smoking tobacco is also a known risk factor for severe disease and death from many respiratory infections. In the COVID-19 pandemic, questions have been asked about clinical outcomes for smokers, and whether they are equally susceptible to infection, and if nicotine has any biological effect on the SAR-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19).

While there is no robust evidence to suggest an increased risk of infection amongst smokers; analysis of deaths from coronavirus in China shows that men are more likely to die than women, something that may be related to the fact that many more Chinese men smoke than women. Among Chinese patients diagnosed with COVID-19 associated pneumonia, the odds of disease progression (including to death) were 14 times higher among people with a history of smoking compared to those who did not smoke. Read More

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The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Continues its Partnership with Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo
March 11, 2021

The Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo, celebrating it's 93rd year, is the largest and longest running rodeo in the southeast. This four-day rodeo includes events such as bull riding, bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, and team roping. It brings nearly 20,000 spectators from all over the state of Florida and the finest Pro Rodeo athletes from across the U.S.

This was the third year rodeo fans were able to attend the event in the Smoke-Free Mosaic Arena. In 2018, as soon as construction was complete, with the help of the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County, the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo Association adopted a smoke-free policy inside the arena! The policy includes all lighted tobacco products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems. In order to make visitors aware of the policy, we provided signage, free of cost to the Rodeo Association.

To further our partnership, and help educate attendees, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County choose to become a 2021 Gate Sponsor. In addition to signage inside the arena, our members were able to set up an educational booth during all four days of the March Rodeo, which was perfectly placed near the front entrance. This gave members the opportunity to welcome and greet rodeo fans and participants as they entered the arena utilizing hands on activities and face-to-face discussions.

Representatives from the TFP and SWAT Youth Ambassadors were present and had the opportunity to network, interact, and educate with attendees one-on-one within the arena. Furthermore, time was allotted for live broadcast commercials in the arena during the rodeo in which the event emcee announced TFP DeSoto as a Gate Sponsor throughout rodeo performances. The TFP logo also appeared on a large banner on the West Gate, a prominent area inside the arena. Read More

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DeSoto County Calls for Quit Attempts, Awareness During Great American Smokeout
November 19, 2020

With the annual Great American Smokeout taking place on November 19th, Tobacco Free Florida in DeSoto County used this observance to encourage people to make a plan to quit smoking using the free tools and services available to Floridians.

Tracing its history back more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout marks a date when smokers are encouraged to use the date to either make a plan or to begin their quit journey(1).

Quitting smoking can add up to 10 years to life expectancy(2). The health benefits of quitting smoking include reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, improving lung function, and lowering the chances of getting an array of different cancers(3,4). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds that smoking may increase your risk of severe illness related to COVID-19(5).

In addition to a healthier body, quitting smoking can lead to a healthier wallet. One year after quitting smoking, a former pack-a-day smoker can save over $2,200, based on today’s prices. Over five years, this adds up to a savings of over $11,000(6).

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County sent out quit resources and educational materials to several local businesses and encouraged employers across the county to use the Great American Smokeout as a time to encourage employees who smoke to consider quit plans. Read More

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Students Working Against Tobacco Tackle Disposable E-Cigarettes on Not A Lab Rat Day
October 21, 2020

The third annual Not A Lab Rat Day took place on Wednesday, October 21st and DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) worked to educate about the potential dangers of disposable e-cigarettes. SWAT, Florida’s youth-led movement to combat the tobacco and e-cigarettes industries, is encouraging their peers to protect themselves and future generations from nicotine addiction by fighting back against the industries.

Since its inception, Not A Lab Rat Day has empowered youth statewide to stand up and declare that they refuse to be Big Tobacco’s “lab rats” as we discover the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.

Disposable e-cigarettes like Puff Bars, Stig, Smok and HQD are not covered under the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) flavor policy since they are not cartridge or pod-based(1). However, the FDA sent warning letters to several disposable e-cigarette makers, Puff Bars being one, demanding they remove their products from the market. Disposable e-cigarettes come in bright colored packaging and kid-appealing flavors including Sour Apple, Banana Ice, and O.M.G. (Orange, Mango, Guava)(2). These new e-cigarettes have a similar sleek design as JUUL, but they are designed for one-time use. JUUL’s flavored pods have been pulled from the market, but new flavored products like Puff Bars, Stig, Smok and HQD are becoming popular among youth and taking JUUL’s spotlight. Read More

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DeSoto County SWAT Chapter Continues to Combat Tobacco Amidst the Pandemic
September 11, 2020

It is no doubt that we are living in odd times and this school year will certainly have its challenges, however, despite the many obstacles our students and staff will face this year, the DeSoto County SWAT Chapter continues to push forward and combat Big Tobacco.

SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) is Florida's statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future. These youth work to change the social norms associated with tobacco, as well as change the way people think about tobacco… making it less desirable, less acceptable, and less accessible.

DeSoto SWAT Youth members are passionate about educating their peers on the dangers associated with tobacco use, combating the nationwide ENDS epidemic, as well as advocating for change in local policies. In fact, our local SWAT youth have played a significant role in gaining policy change in DeSoto County. They helped gain a Tobacco Free Parks Policy from The City of Arcadia and a Smoke Free Policy at the Mosaic Rodeo Arena. They have also educated and presented to community leaders on many occasions to help strengthen policies and regulations in DeSoto County.

We currently have 3 SWAT clubs in DeSoto County. One club at DeSoto County High School, one club at DeSoto Middle School, and one club at The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys and Girls Club.

Read More

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Junior Leadership DeSoto Class II is Now Open for Enrollment
September 10, 2020

The lack of opportunity to keep youth activity involved and away from risky behaviors is a big concern in our rural community. To help combat this issue, The QuitDoc Foundation successfully partnered with Drug Free DeSoto and The School Board of DeSoto County to offer the first ever Junior Leadership Program last year.

The idea behind the program is to provide local youth with the opportunity to learn more about our community, the components that contribute to its success and operation, and encourage these young leaders to advocate for their health and future by combating tobacco use and social norms.

Junior Leadership DeSoto Class I was huge success. The class met for 2 community class days where they were able to tour numerous businesses and organizations within our community: DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto Memorial Hospital, Emergency Management Operations, Arcadia Stockyard, DeSoto Solar Field, and Joshua Citrus… just to name a few.

During class days, youth spoke with employees and learned about the components of their jobs, including education, training, leadership, and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. When these young advocates were not participating in class days, they were actively educating community partners on the goals and initiatives of our Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco, as well as volunteering in our community. Read More

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Graduating SWAT Seniors Rock Their Honor Cords (& Masks) for Their Dedication to Tobacco Prevention Projects
May 13, 2020

SWAT Youth accomplish this by advocating for change in local policies that affect how tobacco is marketed, how it is sold, and where it can be used. SWAT members can expect to participate in a wide range of activities including community education and outreach, public speaking, collecting data, and media advocacy.

Many students join SWAT because they have parents or loved ones who are tobacco users and want to break the cycle of addiction in their family and educate other, others join the SWAT club because they enjoy the community events and giving back to their community.

While the end of the school year did not go as planned due to COVID-19, a big congratulations is for the eleven DeSoto County High School SWAT Club seniors who went above and beyond to dedicate themselves to a creating a tobacco free future in DeSoto County. Read More

Pictured left to right: Front - Molly McKettrick, Yanelly Gamez, Eliana Medina, Alecia Dailey;
Back - Eldridge Arthur, Yanelly Hernandez, Lupita Manriquez, Jake Bartell
Missing: Kyleigh Adams, Eileen Aguilar, M’alee Sauvey

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The Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco Work to Bring Tobacco Retail Licensing to DeSoto County
April 1, 2020

In order to protect people, especially youth, from the hazards of using and being exposed to tobacco products, we work on many initiatives here locally, however there is one major area of concern we have been working on lately, and that is Tobacco Retail Licensing.

The tobacco industry spends the vast majority of their marketing money in the retail environment – over $1 million/hour to promote their products, in which, most of their marketing efforts are aimed directly to our kids. Essentially, the tobacco industry is buying shelf space to keep tobacco visible and offering price discounts to keep tobacco cheap. These companies are no fool, what they are really “buying” is youth who initiate - adults who can’t quit!

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Junior Leadership DeSoto Kicks off in DeSoto County
March 12, 2020

Being a rural community, the lack of opportunity to keep youth activity involved, and away from risky behaviors, is always a top of major discussion. The common misconception that one must leave our community after graduation to seek experience is also a concern.

The idea of a program that would provide local youth with the opportunity to learn more about our community and the components that contribute to its success and operation, and encourage these young leaders to advocate for their health and future by living a positive, healthy lifestyle, has been talked about for years. We finally decided to dive in and go for it, and thus, Junior Leadership DeSoto Class I was born.

The program was offered to Juniors and Seniors at DeSoto County High School. Completing an application, writing an essay, and becoming an active member of our Students Working Against Tobacco Club (SWAT) and Drug Free Youth (Df-Y) were a few requirements of being accepted.

Junior Leadership DeSoto Class I got a behind the scenes tour of DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, including Sheriff Potter’s Office.

The class met for their first official day in the community on November 21st. The agenda was packed from the minute youth stepped foot onto the bus. The first stop was a private tour of DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office. Youth were able to speak one on one with Sheriff Potter, see the inside of the dispatch room, as well as many other offices, and even a portion of the jail. Read More

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The Benefits of Tobacco Free Events
March 1, 2020

Tobacco Free Events provide endless benefits to community members by allowing them to enjoy their time without the worry of being exposed to secondhand smoke or vapor, providing an environment that shows youth tobacco use is not the norm, and by supporting those that have made the difficult decision to quit the use of tobacco. Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death and disease and Tobacco Free Events send a very important message that the community’s health and well-being are a priority. Together, we can reduce the toll of tobacco on our community through Tobacco Free Events.

For the past few years, creating a safer environment by pushing for more tobacco-free events in DeSoto County has been at the forefront of our focus. In fact, the Tobacco Free Partnership worked with the DeSoto County Rodeo Board to write and implement a smoke free venue policy upon the grand opening of the Mosaic Arena. The Mosaic Arena host many events throughout the year, including, but not limited, to the Grand Daddy of ‘Em All March Rodeo, which brings in over 20,000 attendees.

TFP Members were also able to partner with The DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce to adopt a tobacco-free events policy. The Chamber hosts several events every year in which hundreds of community members in DeSoto County attend. This tobacco-free event policy states that all chamber functions and events will be tobacco-free. In addition, we were recently able to assist our Boys & Girls Club with adopting a 100% tobacco free environment policy. Free signage was provided to both the Chamber and Mosaic Arena to help convey their new policy to attendees, and we are currently working with our Boys & Girls Club to provide them with signage as well. Read More

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The Importance of Creating Comprehensive Tobacco-free Worksite Policies
November 26, 2019

It is no secret that tobacco use is harmful. Despite our knowledge of the multitude of carcinogens and toxins in tobacco, people still use it during work hours. According to the Center for Disease control, tobacco use in the workplace accounts for the most loss of work productivity compared to other causes such as family emergencies or alcohol abuse (1).

As of July 1, 2019, e-cigarettes are included in the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act (FCIAA) which means they are prohibited from indoor use, however, that does not stop individuals from taking smoke breaks to use these devices, and other tobacco products, which cost their employers money. The loss of productivity for a business with smokers is estimated to cost $4,056 in productivity and $2,056 in medical costs per year (2).

Businesses that create tobacco-free worksite policies protect the health and wellbeing of their employees. This type of worksite policy may encourage employees who use tobacco to quit the habit, especially if the tobacco-free policy includes cessation help for those who currently use tobacco or e-cigarettes - this is important in encouraging employees quit attempts because a large percent of adults who currently smoke, have tried to quit.

Businesses creating tobacco-free worksite policies and enhanced worksite wellness programs that include cessation coverage is currently a trend across the U.S. Companies are really jumping on board with providing expanded services for employee wellness programs, and many of the employers who have established wellness programs found them to be cost-effective (3). Read More

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Trick or Treat!
October 31, 2019

DeSoto County SWAT Youth partnered with the Drug Free DeSoto Coalition and the BOCC to host the annual community wide Trick or Treat event at the Turner Agri-Civic Center on October 31st. Businesses and nonprofits are invited every year to pass out candy and information to the 1,000+ attendees. This is a fun way to get information out to families as well as support safe, family fun on Halloween.

SWAT members volunteered their time recruiting partners throughout the community to host a booth, encouraged friends and family to attend, and helped with setting up the event. Youth also volunteered the night of by passing out candy and combatting the ENDS epidemic with distributing palm cards that educated on the harms of electronic nicotine delivery systems, or more commonly referred to as e-cigarettes

DeSoto Middle School SWAT youth Savannah Tuttle, Eva Bishop, and Nellie Trinidad
are set up and get ready to greet the 1,000+ trick or treaters.

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Not A Lab Rat Day Exposes How History is Repeating Itself When It Comes to Vaping
October 16, 2019

E-cigarette companies use the same tricks, including flavors and marketing campaigns, that tobacco companies used for decades to target and recruit young smokers (1). Not a surprise considering Big Tobacco companies own or have significantly invested in e-cigarette companies (2,3). These are the same tobacco companies that for decades lied about the addictiveness and health effects of cigarettes (4).

SWAT is Florida’s youth-led movement to combat Big Tobacco. Not A Lab Rat Day is a statewide initiative that empowers youth to stand up and declare that they refuse to be the tobacco and e-cigarette industry’s “lab rats” as we wait and see the long-term health effects of vaping.

The second annual Not A Lab Rat Day in DeSoto County was a great success. Youth at both DeSoto Middle and DeSoto High used this opportunity to dispel myths and educate their peers about the e-cigarette industry’s connection to Big Tobacco and inform them that when it to comes to e-cigarettes and vaping products, history is repeating itself.

DeSoto Middle School SWAT Youth prepped for the day by completing a poster campaign. Youth created countless posters with anti-vape messaging and hung them all around campus. The day of, October 16th, DMS SWAT Youth hosted a booth in the cafeteria during all 3 lunches. The booth had a simulated smoker’s lungs and rats to catch the student’s attention, as well as several other educational materials.

Read More

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State Decision Makers Visit DeSoto County
August 5, 2019

The federal government recently declared youth vaping, or e-cigarette use, a nationwide epidemic. In light of these concerns and the misinformation surrounding this topic, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco Youth are working hard to educate parents, educators, youth, community partners, and decision makers on what they need to know about vaping and youth.

In efforts to do just that, DeSoto TFP Members attended a Legislative Wrap-up Breakfast hosted by the DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce. This served as a time for our elected officials to debrief with local residence the many items discussed during session and allowed residents to voice their concerns and ask questions.

The most popular e-cigarette brand is JUUL, a device shaped like a USB drive that is available in a variety of flavors and easy to conceal. In fact, youth are using JUUL devices inside school bathrooms and classrooms. Youth vaping has increased dramatically across the country and in Florida. In 2018, about 25% of Florida high school students reported current use of electronic vaping – a 58% increase compared to 2017. (FYTS 2018)

Senator Ben Albritton and Community Health Advocate, Jodie DeLoach

Attending the Legislate Wrap-up Breakfast turned out to be a wonderful event for all involved, especially our partnership members who were able to share our concerns with elected officials in a low key, non-threatening manner. It is always a great pleasure to hear from the individuals that make such incredible decisions on our behalf. Read More

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Tobacco Education Delivered at the Annual DeSoto County Back to School Fair
July 27, 2019

On Saturday July 27, 2019, Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) and The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County (TFP) participated in the annual Back-to-School Health Fair sponsored by the DeSoto County School Board.

This event serves as a means for local agencies to provide families within our community with free school supplies. It also serves as a great way to promote services provided to families within DeSoto County. There were nearly 40 vendors in attendance and a grand total of more than 1,200 students who walked away loaded with back to school supplies.

The Back-to-School Health Fair was held in the cafeteria at DeSoto Middle School. Parents and children were lined up outside the gym an hour before the event started waiting for the doors to open. This is an event that surely gets better and better each year.

Families were given information about the dangers of tobacco use and secondhand smoke. There were several tobacco education items on display as well as Quit Your Way materials. Tobacco Free Partnership Members provided hand sanitizers to students, and SWAT Youth handed out palm recruitment cards with an attached highlighter pen. In addition to giveaways, both TFP and SWAT had sign-up sheets available for individuals wanting more information about what we do as an organization. Read More

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The Tobacco Free Partnership Sponsors the 2019 DeSoto High School Project Graduation
May 31, 2019

The community of DeSoto County has united once again to offer our best wishes to our high school graduates by hosting the annual Project Graduation Celebration! Project Graduation is organized by a local committee and supported by many businesses and leading organizations in DeSoto County. The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County was honored to help sponsor this year's event, which creates a drug-and-alcohol free celebration for youth.

Project Graduation is held in the DeSoto High School Gymnasium from 10 PM – 3 AM. The celebration is open to all graduating seniors and a pre-approved guest of their choice. Upon arrival, each student is greeted and checked in. Once students enter the building, they are not able to leave. In order to earn prizes, youth must stay remain until the very end. This year, we had nearly 200 youth in attendance.

During the celebration, the students mix and mingle with their peers, enjoy an endless amount of grub, win prizes every half hour, and play games in which they earn tickets to be redeemed for prizes at the end of the night. Read More

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Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates a Year of Success
May 16, 2019

It has been a very successful 2018-2019 year in tobacco prevention work here in DeSoto County. We have been extremely busy working to educate and prevent tobacco use and social norms within our community.

On May 15, 2019 SWAT Youth and TFP Members were able to celebrate many accomplishments at our end of the year banquet. In addition to celebrating a year of hard work, a few specific members were acknowledged for their outstanding contribution towards a tobacco free future here in DeSoto County.

Asya Shine was chosen as our 2018-2019 Tobacco Free Partnership Member of the Year. Asya is a long-time resident of Arcadia and serves as the Coalition Coordinator for Drug Free Desoto Coalition. She graduated from DeSoto High School in 2003 and holds a Master of Science degree in Health Services Management. Her passion for helping others and seeing them in a positive light has been her driving force in the field.

Asya serves on the Board for DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce and has recently written her first self-help book “Love for God”. Working in the field of substance abuse prevention can be difficult at times. When those times come upon Asya, she simply remembers: The Lord is her Shepherd.

(left to right) Jodie DeLoach – Community Health Advocate and Asya Shine – 2018-2019 TFP Member of the Year.

“It’s been a true pleasure working alongside Asya, being inspired by her passion and educated by her profession”, says Community Health Advocate, Jodie DeLoach. It was an honor to award her as Partnership Member of the Year. Read More

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Graduating SWAT Seniors Recognized for Their Work on Local Tobacco Prevention Projects
May 15, 2019

Pictured left to right: (back row)Jaishon Williams, Yasmin Meza, Jaime Meza, Irene Espino
(front row) Nancy Guerrero-Tapia, Andrea Ramirez, Sheila Angeles

While we had numerous SWAT Seniors in our club this year, only a select few dedicated themselves to meeting the expectations to be honored at our end of the year celebration. A big congratulations is in order for 7 DeSoto County High School SWAT Club seniors who went above and beyond to dedicate themselves to a creating a tobacco free future in DeSoto County. Read More

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DeSoto County Youth Attend Prevention Camp During Spring Break
May 14, 2019

For most youth, the week of spring break is spent lounging on the couch watching edless hours of television, however, the week of March 11th was much more than lazy days and limitless TV for a few youth in DeSoto County.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and the Drug Free DeSoto Coalition hosted the first Spring Break Prevention Camp. Being a rural community, there isn’t much offered to keep youth safe and engaged in non-risky behaviors during time off from school, and this event set out to do just that. Prevention Camp 2019 was held at the Mosaic Community Center in downtown Arcadia March 11th – 14th and open to all youth in DeSoto County grades 5th – 12th.

This camp not only keep youth engaged, but they also took away a great deal of information on a wide range of prevention topics. The event was an alcohol/tobacco/drug free camp and mimicked our leadership DeSoto program, in that each day had a theme: Community Service Day, Alcohol Awareness Day, Tobacco Education Day, and Criminal Justice Day. Each day, guest speakers within the community educated youth on their topic of expertise.

The first day of camp, Community Service Day, was kicked off with a few ice breaker activities which allowed youth to get to know one another. Afterwards, attendees walked over to the public library where they boarded the DART (DeSoto Arcadia Regional Transit) Bus and headed for Trinity United Methodist Church. There, youth were able to service our community by assisting in one of our local food pantries. Youth greeted community members with a smile, helped dish hot meals, and maintained cleanliness of the room. The day was concluded with a relaxing lunch and conversations. From this experience, youth learned that they do not have to give financially to serve our community - there are many ways we can give back by simply donating our time.

Tuesday was all about alcohol literacy. Youth welcomed a representative from MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) who explained the negative effects of underaged drinking and showed videos on what can happen when operating a vehicle when impaired. Youth also learned about how companies market alcohol to the younger generations to get them hooked in order to be long term consumers. In addition, Youth heard from a local individual who personally had an experience with drinking and driving. He shared his story with youth and allowed them to ask questions. Youth were very intrigued with the information shared and learned how important it is to live a sober life. Read More

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Youth Vaping Has Been Declared an Epidemic
May 1, 2019

The federal government declared youth vaping, or e-cigarette use, a nationwide epidemic. In light of these concerns and the misinformation surrounding this topic, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and DeSoto SWAT Youth are working hard to educate parents, educators, youth, and community partners on what they need to know about vaping and youth.

Over the past several months, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County has worked very closely with the DeSoto County School District. What started as a meeting between the TPS and Principal to discuss a quick intervention on campus, quickly led to training staff, raising awareness among the youth, and revisiting the county’s tobacco policy as a whole.

Our first plan of action was to train the teachers and make them aware of what to look for in the new, sleek devices. Members of the TFP held a training for DHS staff where they informed them on the harms of ENDS as well as examples of the many devices. This was an eye-opening experience for staff - many comments were made about how they saw those items in plain sight all the time and had no idea it was an electronic device. Read More

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New Advisor Joins DeSoto High School Students Working Against Tobacco Club
April 4, 2019

Mr. Timothy Kornell has been an advocate against drugs, alcohol and tobacco use for years. The start of his advocacy career goes back to when he was a Community Advisor at the University of Minnesota, as well as the dormitory's health advocate.

He had been working with teen leaderships off and on for years before becoming a teacher at Desoto County High School in August of 2013. For the last five years, Mr. Kornell has been working with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and has been the sponsor of the club at DeSoto High School since the fall of 2016.

Mr. Kornell looks forward to taking on the advisory role of the Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Club at Desoto County High School and is driven to pass leadership skills to the students, teaching and leading others in making better educated decisions.

For more information on the SWAT chapter in DeSoto County, contact Jodie DeLoach at JDeLoach@QuitDoc.com.

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DeSoto County TFP Members & SWAT Youth Conduct a Tobacco Litter Clean Up at McSwain Park in Honor of Kick Butts Day
March 20, 2019

In June of 2016, after a lot of hard work and negotiating, our City Council decided to implement a tobacco free zones policy at our parks and recreational facilities. The policy declared all areas that were directly intended for children/youth to be tobacco free, including smokeless tobacco and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems.

After implementation, and to help make visitors aware of the policy, The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County purchased signs free of cost to the City of Arcadia which are in now place at all of the Tobacco Free Zones.

On March 13th, in honor of Kick Butts Day and to show our appreciation to the City of Arcadia for adopting this policy, members of our TFP and SWAT spent their spring break conducting a tobacco litter clean up. Members first started by picking up tobacco related litter inside the playground and splash pad area (which is considered a tobacco free zone). There were only 3 cigarette butts total found inside this area, however, a decent amount of tobacco litter was pick up in the reminder of the park, which is outside of the tobacco free zone, where signage is not in place.

SWAT Youth and Tobacco Free Partnership Member, Asya Shine do their part to keep our park and splash pad free of tobacco litter.

Read More

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DeSoto Middle School Welcomes New Students Working Against Tobacco Advisor
March 12, 2019

After a recent restructure of our DeSoto County SWAT Youth Program, we are proud to officially welcome our new DMS SWAT Advisor, Michele Fanning.

Mrs. Fanning is originally from Long Island, N.Y. but moved to Florida with her family in 2001. This is her 7th year teaching. She currently teaches 7th grade civics at Desoto Middle School. Prior to teaching at the middle school level, she taught 5th grade at Memorial Elementary School for 5 years. She also taught social studies at DeSoto County Juvenile Justice before they closed... Read More

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Reducing the Impact of Tobacco on Our Community through Tobacco Free Events
March 6, 2019

Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, but it does not have to be. Adopting a Tobacco Free Events policy not only provides many countless benefits to community members, but can also help reduce our death count.

Tobacco Free Events send a very important message: that the community’s health and well-being are a priority. These anti-tobacco environments allow attendees to enjoy an event without the worry of being exposed to secondhand smoke or vapor, provide an environment that shows youth tobacco use is not the norm, and supports those that have made the difficult decision to quit the use of tobacco.

For the past few years, creating a safer environment by pushing for more tobacco-free events/venues in DeSoto County has been at the forefront of our focus. In fact, the Tobacco Free Partnership has successfully helped implement two policies, both with a large impact on our community.

After working with the DeSoto County Rodeo Board, The Mosaic Arena decided to adopt a smoke free venue policy upon its grand opening in 2017. The Mosaic Arena host many events throughout the year, including, but not limited, to the Grand Daddy of Em All March Rodeo, which brings in over 20,000 people. After adopting the policy, the Tobacco Free Partnership provided the rodeo grounds with free signage to help convey its policy to attendees. Read More

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Members of the Tobacco Free Partnership and DeSoto Memorial Hospital Encourage Community Members to ‘Love Their Health’
February 27, 2019

February is Love Your Heart month, but at DeSoto Memorial Hospital, it is taken just a step further. DMH encourages everyone to truly value their bodies and ‘Love Your Health’. In true DMH spirit, heart health month is celebrated by inviting all our health care partners in for a health fair. This is a great way for community members and employees to network with the various local health organizations to become aware of what they have to offer.

In our efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and increase cessation, members of the Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County attended the event held in the main hallway at DeSoto Memorial Hospital on February 27, 2019. In addition to the 13 other vendors in attendance, over 80 community members and DMH staff were educated and encouraged to value their health.

Pictured above: TFP Member and Healthcare Education Specialist at Florida Poison Information Center, Jemima D. Desir, MD, MBA, Community Health Advocate and Tobacco Prevention Specialist, Jodie DeLoach, and TFP Member Asya Shine, Drug Free DeSoto Coalition Coordinator.

TFP members are working hard to recruit new members, work with local government to implement policy change, and present tobacco education and prevention to our community. Booth attendees were given information on the Quit Your Way program and encouraged to pursue the quit. Read More

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DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce Adopts a Tobacco Free Worksite Policy
November 20, 2018

Our Partnership is excited to announce that the DeSoto County Chamber Board recently voted to adopt a tobacco free workplace policy, supporting their employees and visitors, and enhancing their wellness policy. The tobacco-free policy includes all Chamber properties. In addition to the worksite policy, the Chamber has also adopted a Tobacco Free Events Policy, which prohibits tobacco use at all events hosted by the DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce. The Tobacco Free Partnership was also pleased to present the Chamber with free signage to help relay and enforce their new tobacco free policy.

Pictured (left to right): Pam Vowels - DeSoto County Chamber President, Debbie Wertz - DeSoto County Chamber Director, and Jodie DeLoach - Community Health Advocate.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County works diligently to help businesses create tobacco free environments for its employees and visitors. Tobacco-free policies have many benefits, but most importantly, they help young people realize that tobacco use is not a "normal" adult behavior... an attitude that the tobacco industry has marketed for years.

One of the primary reasons an employer chooses to adopt a tobacco free workplace is the high cost associated with tobacco use at work. While it is common knowledge that smoking is bad for the smoker, not many consider the effect this addiction has on local businesses. In Florida alone, the annual direct costs to the economy attributable to smoking exceed of $19.6 billion, including: workplace productivity losses of $4.4 billion; premature death losses of $7.9 billion; and direct medical expenditures of $7.2 billion (1). Between both the additional healthcare costs and losses in productivity, an employee who smokes could cost a business more than $6,000 every year (2). For each employee that quits, a business can save as much as $2,000 per year through reduced insurance cost (3). Read More

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DeSoto County Celebrates the Week of the Family
November 10, 2018

DeSoto County Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco attended The Week of the Family Celebration on Saturday November 10, 2018. The event was held at Brewer Sports Complex from 10:00 AM – 1:00 Pm. This is a local event dedicated to strengthening family relationships through education, wholesome activities, fitness, and community service.

SWAT youth, Lizbeth Gutierrez, Jaylin Castillo, Jenny Mejia, and Community Health Advocate, Jodie DeLoach prepare to engage and enrage attendees
on the health issues related to tobacco use.

There were fun, interactive activities available for all ages, including but not limited to: live entertainment, contest, giveaways, services, and much more. The Week of the Family truly is a wonderful event that provides community members with the opportunity to learn more about various nonprofits and community service efforts available to them locally. Read More

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Trick or Treat!
October 31, 2018

DeSoto County SWAT Youth partnered with the Drug Free DeSoto Coalition and the BOCC to host the annual community wide Trick or Treat event at the Turner Agri-Civic Center on October 31st.

Businesses and nonprofits are invited every year to pass out candy and information to the 1,000+ attendees. This is a fun way to get information out to families as well as support safe, family fun on Halloween.

SWAT youth Layla Burkins and Myha Mendoza set up
and get ready to greet the 1,000+ trick or treaters.

SWAT members volunteered their time recruiting partners throughout the community to host a booth, encouraged friends and family to attend, and helped with setting up the event. Youth also volunteered the night of by passing out information and candy for various businesses that wanted to participate and support the event but did not have staff available to attend.

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Tobacco Enters Our Community in the Retail Environment, Where it is Visible and Cheap
August 1, 2018

Essentially, the tobacco industry is buying shelf space to keep tobacco visible and offering price discounts to keep tobacco cheap. These companies are no fool, what they are really “buying” is youth who initiate - adults who can’t quit!

Large tobacco advertisement at HWY 70 Circle K,
strategically placed next to a Snickers advertisement to attract youth.

In efforts to combat these marketing tactics, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County has been elbow deep in the retail realm of the tobacco industry for the past few years. During the 2016 – 2017 fiscal year, adult TFP members, along with the help of DeSoto County SWAT Youth, conducted 38 point of sale (POS) store audits, nearly every licensed tobacco retailer in DeSoto County.

The retail point of sale is comprised of three main categories: (a) point-of-sale advertisements, (b) price discounts (c) coupons. This was a very comprehensive and lengthy process as the store audit assessment form was 11 pages long and contained 27 questions. However, this first phase of retail assessment was an eye-opening experience for all involved and brought much to our attention locally... Read More

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Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Provides New Signage to DeSoto County School District
August 1, 2018

The negative health effects of tobacco use for both users and nonusers, particularly in connection with secondhand smoke, are well established, and the DeSoto County School Board finds it necessary to protect those who choose to not use tobacco from an environment noxious to them.

The DeSoto County School Board (DCSB) has a comprehensive tobacco free policy, and it has been that way for many years. While their policy is strong, and supports their employees’ efforts to quit smoking, they regularly revisit their policy to ensure they are providing an environment that is healthy for all persons on its premises.

Community Health Advocate, Jodie DeLoach, and Superintendent of Schools, Adrian Cline pose next to the new signage that is now on all school board property.

DCSB is dedicated to providing not only employees, but also students and visitors with a tobacco free environment. Tobacco use of any kind is prohibited on any campus or facility owned or leased or contracted for by the Board, including but not limited to, practice fields, playgrounds, football fiends, baseball fields, softball fields, pool areas, soccer fields, tennis courts, and all open areas. Furthermore, the Board prohibits the use of tobacco in all vehicles owned or operated by the Board. Read More

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Thirteen Students Working Against Tobacco Members Graduate from DeSoto High School Earning a SWAT Honor Cord!
May 23, 2018

Maybe you’re asking yourself, what our club does in our community? SWAT works to change the social norms associated with tobacco. This means we want to change the way people think about tobacco… making it less desirable, less acceptable, and less accessible.

Standing L to R): Jakeyla Washington, Jasmyn Jackson, Zach Dalton, Hayleigh McCall, Lauren Wiley - president, Shahiem Silvera, and Paulina Garcia; Kneeling (L to R): Danaeshia Wilson and Tylia Crowell; Not pictured: Antonio Polk, Malcolm Smith, Yessina Castillo, and Semja Elrod

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Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates a Year of Success
May 2, 2018

It has been a very successful 2017-2018 year in tobacco prevention work here in DeSoto County. We have been extremely busy working to educate and prevent tobacco use and social norms within our community.

On May 2, 2018 at the TFP meeting, SWAT Youth and TFP Members were able to celebrate many accomplishments. In addition to celebrating a year of hard work, a few specific members were acknowledged for their outstanding contribution towards a tobacco free future here in DeSoto County.

Pictured L to R: Jodie DeLoach - Community Health Advocate, Lauren Wiley - DHS SWAT Youth President and 2017-2018 SWAT Youth of the Year, and Adrian Cline – DeSoto County School Board Superintendent

Lauren Wiley was recognized as our 17-18 SWAT Youth of the Year. Her leadership and willingness to help has been invaluable. She has put in countless hours of volunteer work and has shown an outstanding dedication towards creating a tobacco free future. In addition to being the DHS SWAT Club president, Lauren has volunteered to speak at several City Council Meetings, as well as presented to state decision makers at the local delegation meeting. Lauren helped plan and complete a tobacco litter clean up in honor of Kick Butts Day at the new Mosaic Rodeo Arena, as well as, volunteer her time to educate community members at various community events, including but not limited to statewide and regional meetings, the Arcadia March Rodeo, Turner Center Trunk or Treat, and Through With Chew Week and Tobacco Free Florida Week festivities. She also helped complete several point of sale store surveys where data was collected on how the tobacco industry targets and markets our youth. Lauren has been a major asset to our SWAT Youth Program and will definitely be missed! Read More

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Tobacco Use Remains a Public Health Threat in Florida, Especially Among Certain Subpopulations
April 5, 2018

While Florida has seen a significant decline in smoking, there are still about 2.5 million adult cigarette smokers in the state. This is largely because disparities in tobacco use remain especially high among certain groups, including: racial and ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, the LGBT community, and people with mental health conditions.

DeSoto County, being a very rural community, is largely targeted by tobacco companies. So, in honor of Tobacco Free Florida Week, and to spread awareness on how tobacco companies use point-of-sale marketing to target our vulnerable population, DHS SWAT Youth and TFP members set up an informational booth at Jim Space Park Complex on April 5th.

Jim Space contains a large playground, adult softball fields, and little league softball fields. A booth was set up right in the entry of the park, so all visitors had to walk by the booth to enter. There were various hands-on materials available to teach about the dangers of tobacco use and volunteers shared statistics with visitors... Read More

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DeSoto County TFP Members & SWAT Youth Conduct a Tobacco Litter Clean-up at the New Mosaic Arena in Honor of Kick Butts Day
March 22, 2018

The Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo, recently celebrating it's 90th year, is the largest and longest running rodeo in the southeast. This four-day rodeo has events such as bull riding, bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, and team roping. It brings nearly 20,000 spectators from all over the state of Florida and the finest Pro Rodeo athletes from across the U.S.

This year’s rodeo was the first event to be held in the brand new Smoke-Free Mosaic Arena. As soon as construction was complete, with the help of the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County, the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo Association adopted a Smoke-free policy inside the arena! The policy includes all lighted tobacco products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems. In order to make visitors aware of the policy, our DeSoto TFP was able to provide signage, free of cost to the Rodeo Association.

In honor of Kick Butts Day, and to show our appreciation to the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo Association for adopting this policy, our TFP Members and SWAT Youth conducted a tobacco litter clean up on March 21st. We found very little tobacco litter inside the arena, however, a decent amount of tobacco litter was found outside the arena in the vendor set up space where there is not signage in place. Read More

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DeSoto County Residents Cut the Ribbon on the New Smoke-Free Mosaic Arena
March 1, 2018

Most people today realize the threat tobacco use poses to their health. The serious health risks have been discussed for decades in school health classes, by parents, doctors and prevention experts and programs. While, tobacco use continues to decline, we still have at risk communities all over the United States that have much higher usage rates than others.

Research has shown that rural communities like DeSoto County, are more heavily affected by cigarette and smokeless tobacco use. In fact, the health of people living in rural areas is impacted by tobacco use more so than those in urban and metropolitan areas, often because of socioeconomic factors such as lower levels of education, and higher levels of unemployment. (American Lung Association. Cutting Tobacco’s Rural Roots: Tobacco Use in Rural Communities. Chicago: American Lung Association, 2015)

In many communities across the State of Florida, smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco, and exposure to second-hand smoke are accepted as a fact of life, but they don't have to be.

Implementing a tobacco policy helps create a safe and healthy environment for all. The negative health effects of tobacco use for both users and nonusers, particularly in connection with secondhand smoke, are well established and known to cause serious lung diseases, heart disease and cancer. Read More

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DeSoto High School Encouraged Peers to “Skip the Dip” in Honor of 2018 Through with Chew Week and the Great American Spit-Out
February 22, 2018

Through With Chew Week (TWCW) is an educational campaign to decrease spit tobacco use and increase awareness of the negative health effects of using these products. The 2018 Through With Chew Week was observed February 18–24 (the third full week), and the Great American Spit Out was Thursday of TWCW, February 22, 2018.

DeSoto High School SWAT Club participated in TWCW by hosting an education booth in the cafeteria on Thursday, February 22nd. SWAT Youth educated peers about the negative effects of spit tobacco use, distributed print materials, and encouraged spit tobacco users to quit.

All tobacco products contain nicotine, which is very addictive substance. According to the Mayo Clinic, some spit tobacco products contain additives that increase the rate at which nicotine is absorbed into the body. If you look at the types of spit, chew and snuff sold in retail outlets, you will notice different products for the beginner; they are easily identified by their sweet, fruity flavors (apple, cherry, peach, etc.) and often come in easy-to-use pouches. Over time, the spit and snuff user graduates to products that contain more nicotine. Someone who has chewed for a long time uses a stronger product and uses it more frequently to receive the same effect. Read More

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Celebrating Through with Chew Week at the Arcadia Housing Authority
February 9, 2018

In our efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of smokeless tobacco, and bring attention to Through With Chew Week and the Great American Spit Out, QuitDoc Foundation and the Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County attended an event at the Arcadia Housing Authority on February 9, 2018.

Pictured L to R: Community SWAT Advisor Melissa Mendoza
and Tobacco Free Partnership Member Xenia Rosado-Merced

Partnership Members spoke with attendees and provided them with tobacco statistics within Desoto County. Several talking points were mentioned, including but not limited to the fact that “according to the 2016 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, 6.2% of youth in DeSoto County, between the ages of 11 and 17, currently use smokeless tobacco”. This is a 4% increase compared to the state average, which sits at 2.2%. While this is quite a bit above the state average, we have seen progress in our local statistics over the past few years. Since 2012, our county average of youth who use tobacco products (including cigarettes, cigars, or smokeless) has decreased 4.8%. One of our main concerns in DeSoto County is the 41.8% of youth who reported being exposed to second hand smoke. Read More

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City of Arcadia Promotes "Tobacco Free Zones" Policy!
December 4, 2017

Our local government recently made a big stride in supporting the health and well-being of our citizens by establishing a tobacco free zones policy.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and DHS SWAT Youth were extremely proud to announce that on June 6, 2017, all playground areas, picnic areas and youth athletic fields at all City parks and recreation facilities were hereby designated as tobacco-free and vape-free zones.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County worked with DeSoto Sign to provide the City of Arcadia with appropriate signage at all city parks and recreational facilities, designating such areas as tobacco-free zones. Tobacco Free Zone Signage is now prominent at all City of Arcadia Parks and Recreational Facilities, at no cost to the City.

Jodie DeLoach, the Tobacco Prevention Specialist in DeSoto County, said that she was "beyond excited to watch the children and youth of Arcadia play in a safe, clean environment."

For more information about adopting a tobacco free policy, visit www.TFP-DeSoto.org or contact JDeLoach@QuitDoc.com.

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Local Employers Benefit from Adoption of Tobacco Free Workplace Policies
November 16, 2017

Arcadia, Florida – Several local workplaces are making big strides in supporting the health and well-being of their employees by adopting tobacco free workplaces.

In 2007, DeSoto Memorial Hospital adopted a tobacco free workplace policy, supporting their employees’ efforts to quit smoking and enhancing their current wellness policies. While they have been supporting no tobacco for 10 years, they regularly revisit their policy to ensure it is providing an environment that is healthy for all persons on its premises.

The DMH tobacco free policy is now quite comprehensive and covers all buildings and properties, including parking lots owned by DeSoto Memorial Hospital and all properties under lease agreement with the hospital. Signs are posted at each facility entrance and other prominent, visible areas, reminding individuals that the premises is tobacco free.

Current employees are able to take free cessation classes through the Quit Your Way program offered by Tobacco Free Florida and enjoy the benefits of a tobacco free lifestyle.

DeSoto Memorial Hospital CEO, Vincent Sica (R) and Director of Marketing, Danyiell Blosser (L) proudly support their tobacco free grounds policy.

The free Quit Your Way program allows employees to call, go online, or even attend face-to-face cessation classes, many of which have been hosted at their places of employment in order to support tobacco cessation efforts. Read More

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DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Members Share Information at Trick or Treat Event
October 20, 2017

Members of the DeSoto County SWAT Youth Chapter enjoyed a little family fun as they passed out information and candy to children and families at the annual community wide Trick or Treat Event.

Businesses and community partners are invited every year to attend the event which is held at the Turner Agri-Civic Center on October 31st. This is a fun way to get information out to families as well as support safe, family fun.

SWAT Youth set up and ready to pass out information to the 1,000+ expected attendees at the annual Turner Center Community Trick or Treat.

In addition to the SWAT booth, DeSoto SWAT partnered with the Drug Free DeSoto Coalition and the BOCC to host the event. Several SWAT members volunteered their time recruiting partners throughout the community to set up a booth, encouraged friends and family to attend, and helped with setting up the event. SWAT youth also volunteered the night of by passing out information and candy for various businesses that wanted to participate and support the event, but did not have staff available to attend.

For more information on the SWAT Chapter in DeSoto County, contact Jodie DeLoach at JDeLoach@QuitDoc.com.

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DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Local Legislative Delegation Meeting
October 20, 2017

Senator Denise Grimsley and Representative Ben Albritton met with residents of DeSoto County on October 20, 2017. The legislative delegation hearing was held at the DeSoto County Courthouse and served as a time for residents to share their top concerns with decision makers.

Community Health Advocate, Jodie DeLoach, and SWAT President, Lauren Wiley pose for a quick picture with Senator Grimsley before the delegation.

The Tobacco Free Partnership (TFP) of DeSoto County and DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Chapter is working hard to reduce usage and exposure to tobacco products through many avenues and initiatives. The two main issues that were brought before the delegation were policies to counteract tobacco product marketing at the retail point of sale (POS) and the reduction of second hand smoke.

DeSoto County Community Health Advocate, Jodie DeLoach, addressed the delegation first to share some of our local efforts. She spoke on some of our recent wins, including but not limited to, a Tobacco Free Zones Resolution in City owned and operated parks and recreational facilities, a County Resolution that encourages retailers to restrict the sale of candy-flavored tobacco products, and recent Point of Sale store assessments. Read More

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DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Statewide Meeting
August 20, 2017

Dillion Mendoza and Gabriel Abilez, both members of the DeSoto SWAT Chapter, had the opportunity to attend the Statewide SWAT retreat this summer.

The retreat took place at the Lake Yale Conference Center. Over the course of the event, the youth participated in collaborative learning activities in which they discovered many shocking facts about tobacco. The youth were excited to make new friends and hear what other clubs do within their communities.

2017 Lake Yale SWAT Youth Retreat

“The retreat really opened their eyes to the dangers of tobacco and how far we've come in tobacco prevention since the early 1990's. Dillion and Gabriel were very thankful for the opportunity to attend the retreat and hope to attend on behalf of the DeSoto SWAT Chapter next year.” Melissa Mendoza – DeSoto Community SWAT Advisor.

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Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Back-to-School Health Fair
July 29, 2017

On Saturday July 29, 2017, Students Working Against Tobacco and The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County participated in the annual Back-to-School Health Fair held by the DeSoto County School Board and DeSoto County Health Department.

This event serves as a means for local agencies to provide families within our community with free school supplies. It also serves as a great way to promote services provided to families within DeSoto County. There were over 35 vendors in attendance and a grand total of more than 1000 students who walked away loaded with back to school supplies.

Community Health Advocate - Jodie DeLoach, SWAT Advisor - Melissa Mendoza, and SWAT Youth - Myha Mendoza and Aaliyah Rios pause for a quick selfie before distributing school supplies.

SWAT Member Myha Mendoza, works diligently to get the supplies to attendees.

The Tobacco Free Partnership (TFP) handed out Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) palm cards with SWAT frisbees and Tobacco Free Partnership Chapstick. There were also pamphlets available for families who wanted more information about the dangers of second hand smoke. In addition to giveaways, both TFP and SWAT had sign-up sheets available for individuals wanting more information about what we do as an organization. Read More

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Citizens and Youth benefit from Establishment of Tobacco Free Zones
July 1, 2017

ARCADIA, Fla. – Our local government is making big strides in supporting the health and well-being of our citizens by establishing tobacco free zones.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and DHS SWAT Youth are extremely proud to announce that as of June 6, 2017, all playground areas, picnic areas and youth athletic fields at all City parks and recreation facilities are hereby designated as tobacco-free and vape-free zones.

Pictured left to right: SWAT Advisor, Melissa Mendoza, SWAT Youth - Lauren Wiley, Myha Mendoza, Kylee Adams, Aaliyah Rios, and Tobacco Prevention Specialist - Jodie DeLoach

There have been major concerns expressed from community members, and up until the point of adoption, there was no tobacco policy of any kind in place. SWAT Youth have presented to the City Council on numerous occasions and we are truly grateful to the councilmembers for seeing the importance of protecting our youth.

One of the primary reasons city officials chose to adopt a tobacco free zones policy is the astronomical amount of deaths each year related to smoking. Approximately 480,000 people die early each year from a smoking related illness. Nearly 10% of those deaths are due to secondhand smoke, making it the 3rd leading cause of preventable deaths. Read More

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Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Recognizes Members through Awards Meeting
May 16, 2017

It has been a very successful 2016-2017 year in tobacco prevention work here in DeSoto County. We have been extremely busy working to educate and prevent tobacco use and social norms within our community. We were able to celebrate many accomplishments this year, thanks to several hard working, dedicated members.

Pictured L to R: Jodie DeLoach, Cesar Barajas (SWAT Youth of the Year), Dr. Kirk Voelker

Cesar Barajas was recognized as our 16-17 SWAT Youth of the Year. His leadership and willingness to help has been invaluable. Cesar volunteered to speak on behalf of DHS SWAT Youth at a City Council Meeting, he helped plan and complete a park clean up in honor of Earth Day, as well as, volunteer his time to educate community members at various community events, including but not limited to The Arcadia March Rodeo, Turner Center Trunk or Treat, Tobacco Free Florida Week festivities, and many more. Cesar has been a major asset to our SWAT Youth Program and will definitely be missed!

Pictured L to R: Jodie DeLoach, Kandice Browning (SWAT Advisor of the Year), Dr. Kirk Voelker

Our 16-17 Advisor of the Year was awarded to Kandice Browning. This was her first year volunteering as our DeSoto High School SWAT Youth Advisor. Being new did not hold her back in any aspect, she dove right in to recruiting and educating our youth. Kandice kept her club involved by holding regular meetings, constantly recruiting new youth, and being active within our community. The youth of DeSoto County are blessed to have adults, such as Kandice, that genuinely care about their future and wellbeing. We look forward to all that she will bring to our program, and the health of DeSoto County, in the years to come. Read More

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The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and DHS SWAT Youth Educate Parents and Children at Jim Space Park for Tobacco Free Florida Week
May 11, 2017

In honor of Tobacco Free Florida Week in DeSoto County, DHS SWAT Youth and TFP members set up an informational booth at Jim Space Park Complex on May 11th. The TFP and SWAT Youth decided the park was a wonderful place to raise awareness due to so many community members complaining about the amount of tobacco use at our city parks and recreational facilities.

DHS SWAT Youth and TFP members enjoy educating park visitors
on the dangers and cost of smoking.

Jim Space contains a large playground, adult softball fields, and little league softball fields. A booth was set up right in the entry of the park, so all visitors had to walk by the booth to enter. Children really enjoyed coming up to the booth to see all the hands-on materials available and learning about the dangers and cost of smoking. During the event, TFP members and SWAT Youth walked around the park educating visitors. Overall, the event was a great success. We had countless parents stop by the booth to share stories and thank us for our hard work. There was not one parent who objected the idea of tobacco free parks within our community. Read More

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DeSoto High School Students Working Against Tobacco Celebrate Earth Day in DeSoto County with a Park Clean-Up
April 19, 2017

On Wednesday April 19, 2017, in efforts to raise awareness for Earth Day, and to collect evidence to support local policy implementation in City Parks and Recreational Facilities, the DeSoto High School SWAT youth completed a park clean up at McSwain Park in downtown Arcadia.

The youth were given gloves and Ziploc bags and were instructed to pick up litter of all kinds, however, there was very little “trash” on the property. The youth were however shocked at how much tobacco waste was found.

DHS SWAT Youth, along with advisor, Kandice Browning proudly
display tobacco litter that is no longer laying in McSwain Park.

The DHS SWAT club and advisor met the TPS at the park at 3:45, by 4:30, the nine youth in attendance, plus two adults, had collected over 2 gallons of tobacco litter alone. Most of the litter was cigarette butts, however, there was also cigarette packs, lighters, and drug paraphernalia collected as well. Read More

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The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Shares Information on the Dangers of Tobacco at the Arcadia Rodeo
March 12, 2017

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Sponsored a booth at the 2017 Arcadia Rodeo March 9 – 12th. Celebrating its 89th year, the 2017 March Rodeo is the largest and longest running rodeos in the southeast with events such as bull riding, bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, and team roping. It brings nearly 20,000 spectators from all over the state of Florida and the finest Pro Rodeo athletes from across the U.S. The rodeo is held in an outdoor arena where many other events are held, however, it is the last rodeo to be held in this arena, as a new one is under construction.

Partnership Members (From L to R): Jodie DeLoach, Daniel Hernandez, Faith and Abby Carter, Destiny Medina, Myha and Melissa Mendoza

A 10 X 10 booth was included in the sponsorship and was placed near the front entrance where all attendees would enter. This gave members the opportunity to welcome and greet rodeo fans and participants as they entered the arena utilizing hands on activities and face-to-face discussions.

Representatives from the TFP and SWAT Youth Ambassadors were both present all four days where they had the opportunity to network, interact, and educate with attendees one-on-one within the arena. TFP DeSoto and SWAT youth were stationed at the booth, as well as in various display areas throughout the event site during the rodeo where they conducted outreach and collected tobacco free rodeo rally cards.

Attendees in the stands were directed to the TFP booth where they could sign up to become a member, review local data, and/or receive more information on our partnership and mission.

DHS SWAT Youth Cesar Barajas and Saul Andrade enjoy spreading the word about tobacco prevention.

Read More

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The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and the QuitDoc Foundation are raising awareness during “Through with Chew Week”
February 10, 2017

DeSoto County, Fla. – The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and the QuitDoc Foundation are raising awareness about the dangers of smokeless tobacco – like chew and dip – during Through With Chew Week. This national public awareness campaign was created to reduce the use of smokeless tobacco among young people, and Tobacco Free Florida aims to help combat this deadly addiction. Through With Chew Week takes place Feb. 19-25, with the Great American Spit Out – a day when smokeless tobacco users join together to quit – on Feb. 23.

Although the youth cigarette smoking rate in Florida decreased over 50 percent between 2012 and 2016, the number of Florida high school students who reported current use of smokeless tobacco products decreased only 24.5 percent in those same four years. The disproportionately higher rate of smokeless tobacco use in rural areas is also alarming – current youth smokeless tobacco use is more than three times higher in rural communities than in non-rural areas. 6.2% percent of youth ages 11-17 in DeSoto County reported current use of smokeless tobacco products in 2016, according to the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey.

“While we’re proud that youth smoking is at an all-time low, the number of young Floridians using smokeless tobacco is decreasing at a dramatically slower rate,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary Dr. Celeste Philip. "We need to do more to educate about the risks and deter our young people of using these products.”

Pictured above, L to R: - Melissa Mendoza (Community SWAT Advisor), Jodie DeLoach (Tobacco Prevention Specialist), and Jessica Keene (Partnership Member)

Local Tobacco Free Partnership Members spoke with attendees and provided them with tobacco statistics within Desoto County. Several talking points were mentioned, including but not limited to the fact that “according to the 2016 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, 6.2% of youth in DeSoto County, between the ages of 11 and 17, currently use smokeless tobacco”. This is a 4% increase compared to the state average, which sits at 2.2%. While this is quite a bit above the state average, we have seen progress in our local statistics over the past few years. Since 2012, our county average of youth who use tobacco products (including cigarettes, cigars, or smokeless) has decreased 4.8%. One of our main concerns in DeSoto County is the 41.8% of youth who reported being exposed to second hand smoke. Read More

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The Issue of Smokeless Tobacco
January 17, 2017

Smokeless tobacco is not burned, contains nicotine and is addictive. Smokeless tobacco is typically called spit tobacco, chewing tobacco, chew, dip, plug, and probably a few other things. Types of smokeless tobacco include:

chewing tobacco, which comes in the form of loose leaf, plug, or twist. The most common, loose leaf, is usually packaged in foil pouches. Chewing tobacco is placed between the cheek and gums.
snuff is finely ground tobacco that can be dry, moist, or packaged in pouches or packets. Some types of snuff are sniffed or inhaled into the nose; other types are placed in the mouth. Moist snug, the most common, is often called dip. It’s placed between the cheek or lip and gums; it requires spitting. Snus is a newer form of moist snuff used in the United States.
dissolvables are finely ground tobacco pressed into shapes such as tablets, sticks, or strips. These products slowly dissolve in the mouth. They come in the form of lozenges, orbs, sticks, and strips. Read More

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New Federal Housing and Urban Development Smoke-Free Policy Reflects Steps Taken Earlier by Aracadia Housing Authority
December 6, 2016

On June 22, 2009 the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was signed by President Obama.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), concerned for the well-being of the residents, encouraged housing authorities to adopt non-smoking policies. The Arcadia Housing Authority (AHA) partnered with Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County in 2013 and started this endeavor.

Pushing into 2014, resident meetings were held, drafts were created, and final results were submitted to HUD, which approved the Policy. The new Smoke Free Policy was effective July 1, 2015.

Our local policy was created to promote better health for our residents and to reduce the fire risk associated with smoking. Tobacco use is prohibited 10 feet from common areas, public housing living units, and the AHA administration buildings. Neighboring agencies such as Avon Park, Sarasota, and Fort Myers were well ahead of the game with Smoke Free Policies enforced in earlier dates.

On December 6, 2016, the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development took a major step forward and published its final rule Instituting Smoke-Free Public Housing. This CFR applies a few of the familiar rules from the 2009 Act with a new extension of all outdoor areas up to 25 feet from all public housing units and administrative office buildings. Read More

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DeSoto Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Week of the Family Celebration
November 12, 2016

DeSoto County TFP and Students Working Against Tobacc (SWAT) youth attended The Week of the Family Celebration on Saturday November 12, 2016. The event was held at Brewer Sports Complex from 10:00 AM – 1:00 Pm. This is a local event dedicated to strengthening family relationships through education, wholesome activities, fitness, and community service.

SWAT youth, Myha Mendoza, schooled the boys on the health issues related to secondhand smoke.

There was fun, interactive activities available for all ages, including but not limited to: live entertainment, contest, giveaways, services, and much more. The Week of the Family truly is a wonderful event that provides community members with the opportunity to learn more about various nonprofits and community service efforts available to them locally. Read More

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Tobacco Free Florida and Tobacco free Partnership of DeSoto County Encourage Tobacco Users to Quit on the Great American Smokeout on November 17.
November 10, 2016

WHO/WHAT: In observance of the Great American Smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, Tobacco Free Florida and The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County encourage tobacco users to use the date to make a quit plan or to plan in advance to quit smoking on that day – November 17.

The nationally celebrated Great American Smokeout, now in its 41st year, challenges people to stop using tobacco and helps them learn about the many tools they can use to help them quit and stay quit.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County is raising awareness of Tobacco Free Florida’s free and proven-effective resources available to Floridians to successfully quit. The “Quit Your Way” program provides users interested in quitting access to free tools, including a 2-Week Starter Kit of nicotine replacement patches, Text2Quit, Email Tips and a Quit Guide. They can choose as many tools and services as they need, or use them in addition to Tobacco Free Florida’s Phone, Group and Web Quit services. Read More

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DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Members Attend Regional Training in Wauchula, Florida
November 5, 2016

It was a true pleasure attending the Regional SWAT Meeting on November 5, 2016 with two of the most dedicated SWAT Youth DeSoto County has to offer. The regional meeting was held at the Hardee County Health Department in Wauchula, Florida. Myha Mendoza and Lauren Wiley, gladly attended on behalf of the DeSoto County SWAT Chapter. Melissa Mendoza, SWAT Advisor of San Bosco Community SWAT Club, accompanied the girls to the meeting.

(picture L to R) Myha Mendoza, Melissa Mendoza, and Lauren Wiley
enjoy a quick selfie during their lunch break.

Myha Medoza is a member of our community based SWAT Club at San Juan Bosco. She has been an active member for nearly 2 years. She is dedicated to, and enjoys, exposing the dangers associated with tobacco use. In addition to SWAT, Myha is active in the art club at Memorial Elementary, and is also a member of DFy (Drug Free Youth). “Myha is an incredibly dedicated young girl, always willing to lend a helping hand. We are very proud to have her serve as one of our SWAT youth,” said Jodie DeLoach.

Lauren Wiley, is one of our newest, yet most dedicated SWAT members. When asked if she would attend the regional SWAT meeting which was originally scheduled the same weekend as homecoming, she accepted without a moment of hesitation. Lauren is currently in her junior year at DeSoto High School. She is very enthusiastic when it comes to tobacco prevention and has been more than willing to help in any way she can. She is by far one of the most active and dependable SWAT students in the entire SWAT Chapter of DeSoto County. “We are truly blessed to have such a smart, kind, and devoted young girl serve on our SWAT Chapter here in DeSoto County. It is an absolute joy that we get to work with Lauren one more year before graduation.” said Jodie DeLoach. Read More

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The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County partners with the DeSoto County School Board and Drug Free DeSoto Coalition to Recognize Red Ribbon Week
November 2, 2016

Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in the United States. In fact, it is the Nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention program, reaching millions of Americans during the last week of October every year.

By wearing red ribbons and participating in various community anti-drug events, young people pledge to live a drug-free lifestyle and pay tribute to DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Special Agent Camarena was an 11-year DEA veteran assigned to the Guadalajara, Mexico, office, where he was on the trail of the country’s biggest marijuana and cocaine traffickers. In 1985, he was extremely close to unlocking a multi-billion dollar drug pipeline. However, on February 7, 1985, he was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by Mexican drug traffickers. His tragic death opened the eyes of many Americans to the dangers of drugs and the international scope of the drug trade.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County was happy to partner with the DeSoto County School Board and Drug Free DeSoto Coalition to bring awareness to this campaign. All schools throughout the district were encouraged to celebrate by dressing up each day, as well as showing their school spirit in whatever suited their school best. During Red Ribbon Week, members from all three organizations sent representatives around to visit the school sites and “judge” their Red Ribbon spirit. Read More

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DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco Youth Educate Local Decision Makers on Point-of-Sale Tobacco Advertising
November 1, 2016

ARCADIA, FL — DeSoto High School Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Youth, along with Tobacco Prevention Specialist, Jodie DeLoach, attended the Arcadia City Council Meeting on November 1, 2016. Youth attendees had a wonderful time representing their school as well as the SWAT program, and took advantage of the opportunity to educate local decision makers and community members on the dangers of tobacco use, as well as encourage policy makers to implement change.

To kick things off, Jodie DeLoach presented the Council with a brief history overview of the Tobacco Free Florida program. She explained that the TFF program was launched in 2007 after Florida’s voters overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment, Article X, Section 27. This amendment called for establishing a comprehensive tobacco education and use prevention program using a percentage of the state’s tobacco settlement fund. She also clarified that TFF is administered through the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida (BTFF), and funded by money derived from the state’s tobacco settlement agreement with the major tobacco companies in 1997, not by local tax dollars.

Jodie DeLoach, Tobacco Prevention Specialist, gives the City Council of Arcadia a brief history overview of the Tobacco Free Florida Program, before introducing SWAT Youth.

After giving a brief overview, Jodie introduced the SWAT Youth in attendance, who then shared a few updates and activities they have been working on thus far this year.
The DeSoto County SWAT Chapter is working hard to complete Point of Sale (POS) Store Audits on all licensed tobacco retailers within DeSoto County. We currently have 33 tobacco retailers to assess locally, and thanks to the collaboration between SWAT Youth and the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County, nearly half of the audits have been completed. SWAT Youth and TFP members both really enjoyed being a part of this activity, as it was truly an eye-opening experience for all involved. Read More

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Tobacco Free Partnership Members Participate in Community-Wide Trick-or-Treat Event
October 31, 2016

Members of the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County enjoyed a little family fun as they passed out information and candy to children and families at the annual community wide Trick or Treat.

Businesses and nonprofits are invited every year to attend the event which is held at the Turner Agri-Civic Center on October 31st. This is a fun way to get information out to families as well as support safe, family fun.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County set up and ready to pass out information to the 1,000+ expected attendees at the annual Turner Center Community Trick or Treat.

In addition to the TFP booth, DeSoto SWAT partnered with the Drug Free DeSoto Coalition and the BOCC to host the event. Several SWAT members volunteered their time recruiting partners throughout the community to host a booth, encouraged friends and family to attend, and helped with setting up the event. SWAT youth also volunteered the night of by passing out information and candy for various businesses that wanted to participate and support the event, but did not have staff available to attend. ____________________________________________________________________

Point of Sale Assessments Come to DeSoto County
August 23, 2016

After attending a very informative, two-day training on Point-of-Sale hosted by Counter Tools and the Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida, Tobacco Prevention Specialist, Jodie DeLoach presented partnership members with a “Why POS matters” presentation.

Partners were informed on Big Tobacco’s deceptive marketing and advertising techniques to better appeal to youth, non-smokers and even smokers who are trying to quit. Advertisements are plastered on gas pumps, parking lots, and inside stores everywhere. In fact, the tobacco industry spends one million dollars per hour and $8.7 billion dollars a year on tobacco advertising. Tobacco retailers cluster in already disadvantaged neighborhoods, they prompt kids to start smoking, make it harder for people to quit, and distract people from a healthier way of living.

The first Tobacco Free Partnership meeting of the new 2016-2017 fiscal year was held at DeSoto Memorial Hospital on August 23, 2016. While updates and floor items were discussed, the bulk of this meeting served as an open discussion on how point of sale matters to all members of our community and how we can unite and take a stand against these marketers. “Getting our community involved in these audits is crucial. These marketing tactics performed by Big Tobacco are targeted to our youth. If we can put a stop to these advertisements, we have a higher chance of creating a future tobacco free generation,” said Jodie DeLoach. Read More

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Tobacco Free Partnership and SWAT Meet and Greet Community Members at Politics in the Park
August 18, 2016

On August 18, 2016 the DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce and The Arcadian hosted a community wide political event at McSwain Park. This event served as a time for community members to fellowship and meet individuals running for elected offices. In addition to any candidate running for office, nonprofit organizations were also invited to set up a booth and share their mission with the community.

TFP Member Asya Shine, SWAT Advisor Melissa Mendoza, and SWAT Youth Alexis Parsley and Dillon Mendoza passed out information and promotional items to community members who visited our booth.

This turned out to be a wonderful event for all involved, especially for our partnership and SWAT youth. It was great for our members to have the opportunity to mingle with candidates in a low key, non-threatening manner. SWAT Youth were able to not only share their mission with the community, but also recruit several new members. Numerous new faces stopped by our booth inquiring about what we had to offer. “It warms my heart to see you guys here,” mentioned one community member. “I am excited to see the changes you will bring to DeSoto County, especially where our youth is concerned,” said another. Read More

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Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Recruitment Begins in DeSoto County for the 2016-2017 School Year
August 1, 2016

School is back in session and the DeSoto County SWAT Club recruitment is in full swing! DeSoto County currently has 3 SWAT Clubs, with chapters at DeSoto Middle School, DeSoto High School, and a community based club at Casa San Juan Bosco in Arcadia. In addition to being present at numerous community wide events and open house(s), the start of the school year means each of the clubs, as well as members of the Tobacco Free Partnership, are exhibiting strong efforts in hopes to recruitment more active SWAT members to help spread the word about tobacco prevention.

One of the most important messages the Clubs work hard to spread to their peer groups is that using tobacco products is NOT a social norm. In fact, according to the most recent Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS), 16.9% of school youth in DeSoto County reported using some form of tobacco within the last 30 days. This sits at an astounding 7% above the state average of 9.2%.

The SWAT Clubs work on many projects throughout the year, from speaking at local legislative meetings about tobacco issues to running campus-wide activities for observances like Kick Butts Day and the Great American Smoke Out. Read More

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The Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County Attends Back to School Fair
July 23, 2016

On Saturday July 23, 2016, Students Working Against Tobacco and The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County participated in the annual Back-to-School Health Fair held by the DeSoto County School Board and DeSoto County Health Department.

This event serves as a means for local agencies to provide families within our community with free school supplies. It also serves as a great way to promote services provided to families within DeSoto County. There were over 35 vendors in attendance and a grand total of more than 900 students who walked away loaded with back to school supplies.

The Back-to-School Health Fair was held in the gym at DeSoto High School. Parents and children were lined up outside the gym an hour before the event started waiting for the doors to open. This is an event that surely gets better and better each year.

Students Working Against Tobacco Member, Myha Mendoza and Tobacco Prevention Specialist, Jodie DeLoach pause for the camera just before distributing school supplies.

The Tobacco Free Partnership (TFP) handed out Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) palm cards with an attached highlighter pen promoting the program. Families were also given information about the dangers of second hand smoke and 3 Ways to Quit. In addition to giveaways, both TFP and SWAT had sign-up sheets available for individuals wanting more information about what we do as an organization. Read More

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Tobacco Free Partnership Presents Tobacco Prevention Program to Youth at Catholic Charities
June 8, 2016

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Cigarette Report for 2013, 2016 - Major tobacco companies now spend $9.5 billion per year - more than $25 million every day - to promote their products, and many of their marketing efforts directly to kids.

Approximately 90% of all smokers start before age 18, the average age for a new smoker being 13!

To help bring awareness to this topic, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County presented tobacco education, particularly in the area of point of sale retail, to Catholic Charities at Casà San Juan Bosco on the morning of June 8, 2016.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them and look forward to working together in the near future to implement a tobacco free policy at their facility.

Melissa Mendoza (DeSoto County SWAT Coordinator), Jim Potter (Tobacco Free Partnership Member), and Jodie DeLoach (Community Health Advocate) visit youth at Catholic Charities of Casa San Juan Bosco.

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QuitDoc Foundation Exposes the Risks of Secondhand Smoke
Eighth Annual Tobacco Free Florida Week Aims to Break the Myth that Secondhand Smoke is Harmless
May 14, 2016

Desoto County, FL. – QuitDoc Foundation and the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida are raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco related products during “Tobacco Free Florida Week.” This public awareness campaign was created to promote the education of the deadly addiction related to tobacco products. “Tobacco Free Florida Week” took place May 8th – 14th.

Bringing awareness to these deadly products is imperative. The high levels of nicotine contained in tobacco related products are highly addicting and can lead to a lifelong battle with disease, depression, and even death.

Up to now, it was thought that it took years for smokers to become addicted, but current research proves addiction can take place within days. Upon starting, smokers are immediately confronted with a quit battle. Truth is, the average smoker attempts to quit smoking between 8 and 11 times before ultimately quitting for good.

According to the 2010 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, a combined total of 62.2% of individuals in DeSoto County, between the ages of 18 and 64, are current tobacco users. This is a 22.5% increase compared to the state average, which sits at 39.7%. Read More

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DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Celebrate Another Great Year!
May 13, 2016

On Friday, May 13, 2016 a barbeque was held in honor of our Senior Students Working Against Tobacco and D.F.Y. groups.

We gathered at 6:00 PM in the Desoto County High School cafeteria. Parents were also invited to join in on the celebration.

During the event, students were reminded of the hours of dedication and the effort put forth during the past year with graduation right around the corner.

We also encouraged our students to remain Tobacco, Drug, and Alcohol free.

The barbeque was a success. Our Senior students and their parents were thanked with much gratitude for being involved. Our children are our future!

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Jodie DeLoach joins QuitDoc Foundation as the Tobacco Prevention Specialist for DeSoto County
March 2, 2016

ARCADIA, Fla. – QuitDoc Foundation recently named Jodie DeLoach as the Tobacco Prevention Specialist of Desoto County. Jodie will also be responsible for facilitating the Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County, a coalition of community leaders working together on tobacco issues that affect the residents of Desoto County, particularly its most vulnerable residents: youth and senior citizens.

"I am beyond excited to represent Desoto County as QuitDoc’s newest team member," said Jodie. “Implementing the education, prevention, and treatment of tobacco in this quaint community is a true passion of mine.”

Jodie comes to QuitDoc from the Hardee County School Board where she has been employed at Zolfo Springs Elementary (ZSE) School for the past seven years. During her years at ZSE, she spent numerous hours volunteering with many non-profit groups and being an active member in the community. She was the 2014 ZSE Teacher of the Year, Grade Chair Lead, Fundraising Co-chair, a member of the Parent Involvement Committee, a participant on the summer planning board, the Junior Varsity Cheerleading Sponsor, and served on countless other clubs and organizations.

In addition to teaching, Jodie is also a Health and Wellness Coach. As a coach, she cultivates and manages new and existing relationships by living a healthy lifestyle and recruiting others to do the same. Through coaching, she serves as a mentor to nearly 100 women working towards health goals. Jodie has truly developed a love for healthy living, in all capacity, and has a deep passion for helping others live happier, healthier lives. Read More

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DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco Program Welcomes New SWAT Coordinator
February 18, 2016

Melissa Mendoza has joined our DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco team as the local SWAT Coordinator. Melissa comes from the DeSoto County Health Department where she worked as a support tech involved with diabetes education and “closing the gap” project.

Melissa has hit the ground running working with both Desoto Middle School and DeSoto High School students, essentially doubling student participation at both schools. In her first month, SWAT students have hosted a booth at the DeSoto Rodeo informing of the dangers of smokeless tobacco, and have partnered with Drug Free DeSoto on a basketball tournament and spring break camp.

“Melissa has a great energy which she brings to our SWAT program. We are excited to see the projects that she has planned for the future,” notes Dr. Kirk Voelker, who manages the Community-Based Tobacco Prevention Program in DeSoto County. "We look forward to gaining greater student enthusiasm and participation in our SWAT activities with Melissa at the helm."

For more information on the DeSoto County SWAT Program, contact Melissa Mendoza at MMendoza@QuitDoc.com.

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Smokeless Tobacco Use Remains High in DeSoto County
QuitDoc Foundation and Tobacco Free Florida are raising awareness during “Through with Chew Week”
February 9, 2016

Desoto County, Fla. – QuitDoc Foundation and the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida are raising awareness about the dangers of smokeless tobacco, like chew and dip, during “Through With Chew Week.” This public awareness campaign was created to reduce the use of smokeless tobacco among young people and help combat this deadly addiction. “Through With Chew Week” takes place Feb. 14-20.

Although youth cigarette smoking rates in Florida are at an all-time low, 12.7 percent of high school students in Desoto County reported current use of smokeless tobacco products in 2014, according to the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey. This was significantly higher than the state average of 5.4%.

To raise awareness about the dangers of smokeless tobacco use QuitDoc Foundation, and the Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County presented to the Desoto County Board of County Commissioners to ask them to adopt a Through With Chew Week Proclamation. Partnership Member Courtney Moyett educated the Commissioners with local statistics about youth using smokeless tobacco within Desoto County. She also stated that bringing awareness to smokeless tobacco is imperative because products like chew and dip can contain more nicotine than traditional cigarettes, and can lead to a lifetime of addiction.

On Feb. 9th, 2016, at 9 a.m. the Desoto County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the proclamation. Mrs. Moyett thanked the Commissioners and County Administrator for their ongoing support of the tobacco control program in Desoto County and assured them that the partnership would continue to advocate against tobacco use. Read More

Pictured from L-R:
Commissioner Elton Langford and Courtney Moyett Community Health Advocate for QuitDoc Foundation and the Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County

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United States Congress Passes Child Nicotine Poisoning Protection Act; The Bill Now Goes to President Obama for His Signature
January 11, 2016

On January 11, 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation requiring that liquid nicotine be sold in child-resistant packaging, consistent with Consumer Product Safety Commission standards.The Senate previously approved the legislation (the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act), which is designed to protect children from poisoning from highly concentrated vials of liquid nicotine. The bill now heads to the White House for President Obama's signature.

"In recent years, the marketing of unregulated flavored nicotine products has led to a surge in accidental ingestion by children," said Dr. Barry Hummel, a Pediatrician and Co-Founder of the Quit Doc Foundation. "The new law will hold candy-flavored nicotine, including bubble gum and gummy bear flavored products, to the same standards as other over-the-counter drugs by requiring child-resistant packaging."

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, one teaspoon of liquid nicotine could be lethal to a small child, and smaller amounts can cause severe illness.
"In 2011, there were 271 cases of accidental nicotine ingestion reported to poison control centers," added Dr. Hummel. "That number jumped to 3,783 by 2014, a 14-fold increase. More than half of these cases involved children under the age of 6, the group most vulnerable to severe illness and death." Read More

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DeSoto County Businesses Celebrate the Annual Great American Smokeout
November 19 , 2015

The Great American Smokeout is an annual observance sponsored by the American Cancer Society that encourages tobacco users to use the day to make a quit plan or plan in advance to use the day to quit. The Great American Smokeout raises awareness about the dangers of smoking and the many effective resources available to successfully quit.

On Thursday November 19, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto teamed up with the Arcadia Housing Authority and Transpower Construction Services, Inc., to promote and encourage the use of tobacco cessation resources available to employees through Tobacco Free Florida’s Three Ways to Quit.

Having a comprehensive quit plan increases a tobacco user’s success rate in quitting. Bookmarks were distributed inspiring employees to “Quit & Tell” by providing these six steps:

Decide to Quit
Make a Plan
Set a Quit Date
Start Your Quit Journey
Keep Trying
Quit & Tell

Read More

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Drug-Free DeSoto Coalition Wrapped Up Red Ribbon Week at the End of October
October 31, 2015

Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, drug, and violence prevention awareness campaign held around October 23 – 31 every year. It is the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the country starting in 1985 after DEA Agent Enrique (Kiki) Camarena was killed and tortured by a drug cartel in Mexico. Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities.

This year for Red Ribbon Week we held a door decorating contest for the elementary schools and the middle school and a bulletin board decorating contest for the high school.

Memorial Elementary School entries
Several entries from Memorial Elementary School.

We had participation from 6 teachers at Memorial Elementary School (MES), who encouraged all of their students to participate and 6 teachers from Desoto Middle School (DMS).

DeSoto Middle School entries
Several entries from DeSoto Middle School.

The Winners of the contest at the MES and DMS were rewarded with a pizza party and those who did not win were rewarded with a Halloween treat for their participation. Read More

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Teen Smoking Rates at All-Time Low
E-Cigarette Use On the Rise, Cause for Concern
September 23, 2015

TALLAHASSEE – Youth cigarette smoking rates in Florida are at an all-time low according to new data released on Tuesday by the Florida Department of Health. Conventional cigarette use among Florida high school students dropped from 8.6 percent in 2013* to 6.9 percent in 2015 – a 19.7 percent change. The Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS) also showed declines in other combustible and traditional smokeless products.

“Floridians should be proud of the historic progress made in the state to reduce the number of young cigarette smokers,” said Community Health Promotion Division Director Shannon Hughes. “Since voters approved the constitutional amendment to create Tobacco Free Florida, high school cigarette smoking has gone down an impressive 52.4 percent.”

This new report also marks another important, but more troubling trend. Current e-cigarette use among high school students has increased – from 5.4 percent in 2013 to 15.8 percent in 2015. Hookah use among high school students has also increased, from 8.2 percent in 2013 to 9.7 percent in 2015. Since 2009, when FYTS began tracking current hookah use, the rate has increased 26 percent. Read More

FYTS 2015 Trend Data

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Warning Labels and Child-Resistant Packaging on Liquid Nicotine Bottles
A Letter from Florida Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong
July 22, 2015

There have been a number of media stories recently concerning the regulation of packaging for liquid nicotine intended for use in electronic cigarettes. The rapid increase of e-cigarette use by teens and the number of calls to poison centers involving e-cigarette liquids containing nicotine is an alarming public health concern. The state of Florida urges immediate guidance from federal regulators and calls for increased vigilance from parents, businesses and e-cigarette users to keep these items away from children.

Liquid Nicotine Poisonings

Child-resistant packaging on bottles and cartridges of liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes and other nicotine delivery devices are necessary to protect infants and children. If swallowed or absorbed through the skin, liquid nicotine can lead to serious illness or even death. In fact, the number of calls to poison centers involving e-cigarette liquids containing nicotine rose from one per month in September 2010 to 215 per month in February 2014, according to a study published last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than half of the calls to poison centers due to e-cigarettes involved young children under age 5. The number of calls per month involving conventional cigarettes did not show a similar increase during the same time period... Read More

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Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Attends Arcadia Housing Authority Open House
June 19, 2015

The Tobacco Free Partnership had the opportunity to have an information booth at the Arcadia Housing Authority’s Open House event on Friday June 19, 2015.

This was the first open house event held by the Arcadia Housing Authority since Hurricane Charley swept through the community 10 years ago leaving destruction in it’s wake.

The event helped to reach out to tenants of the subsidized housing program and provide them with information about education and services provided by organizations that continually partner with the Arcadia Housing Authority on a professional level. Free lunch, complete with a cupcake, was also provided to everyone who attended the event.

The Tobacco Free Partnership shared information on the risks of secondhand smoke, and the benefits of smoke-free living options... Read More

Smoke-Free Units

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Spotlight: Mauricio Mandujano, "A Life of Change"
May 21, 2015

It was June 15 of 2011, I was a 14-year old middle schooler who lived in Mexico along with his family. However, unexpectedly, all my academic, personal, and athletic plans would change in an instant. Due to my father's health issues, we decided to move to Dallas where he fell ill. There, I would undergo a process of assimilation and adaptation to a new and diverse culture, as well as, to a new educational system. At first, it was hard to adopt the U.S lifestyle; since the beginning, I was convinced that it was going to be different but I never imagined such an immense discrepancy. Yet, as the time passed by, I accustomed myself to society and became part of it.

One of the most difficult parts of my adaptation, was becoming a fluent and self-sufficient individual capable of coexist in high school. In fact, when I arrived to the U.S., I spoke no English whatsoever. Because of this, it was fundamental to me to promptly and effectively acquire English as my second language. Thus, my intrinsic desire of learning a new language, as well as, to excel in my classes permitted me to achieve my primary goal over the course of my first year. Nevertheless, my eagerness of knowledge and triumph would only increase. Further, it would be in the years to come that I would find my passion for languages, more specifically French. Read More

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Why School Tobacco Policy Matters
By Tracy DeCubellis, April 28, 2015

The topic of tobacco use in schools has been important for popular culture and academic research throughout the years. Rock and Roll songs about smoking in school and movies showing rebellious teens smoking on campus are part of public perception about school tobacco use. Since Brownsville Station observed back in 1973, “everybody knows that smoking ain’t allowed in school,” why does it still happen? That is what researchers want to know.

School Bus

A recent look at school tobacco policies in Michigan and how they affect student smoking had some interesting results as reported in the Journal of School Health.

There is a statewide initiative in Michigan that encourages schools to create a 24/7 tobacco policy that covers on and off-campus activities and applies to all students, staff, and visitors. This is similar to the school policy being encouraged in Florida through the Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida. Using the Michigan Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the researchers looked at data reported by students. They also looked at data from 14 schools using the Michigan School Health Profiles report. The study also looked at individual and school-based variables that they thought would influence student tobacco use.

The results of the study showed that some school policies are indeed correlated with lower student tobacco use. The findings suggest that schools should create a school-wide anti-tobacco message and culture. This could include being sure students know the school tobacco policy, as well as giving students the message only a small percentage of adults actually use tobacco... Read More

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QuitDoc Awarded Tobacco Prevention Grant for DeSoto County
February 6, 2015

Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation (QuitDoc) has once again been awarded a grant from the State of Florida Department of Health to continue to provide tobacco awareness and prevention programs throughout DeSoto County. The programs are designed to reduce the number of teenagers who start smoking each year, to decrease the number of tobacco related deaths, and to provide information on appropriate methods to quit smoking.

The program is funded from a trust fund created with money paid to Florida as part of a settlement with the tobacco industry in 1997. Florida sued the tobacco industry to recoup the cost of providing medical services to Florida residents that were caused by the use of tobacco. The funding has been used to create Tobacco Free Florida, a comprehensive statewide tobacco prevention and cessation program.

“The Tobacco Free Florida program has been incredibly successful at reducing tobacco use among youth and adults in Florida,” reports Dr. Barry Hummel, a Pediatrician who co-founded QuitDoc. “Use of traditional tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, and spit tobacco are now at historic lows in the state among all age groups.”
Read More

2014 FYTS Youth Rates

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Florida Youth Tobacco Survey Results Show a Sharp Decline in Youth Tobacco Use in DeSoto County
February 3, 2015

The county level data from the 2014 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS) were published and there is a lot to celebrate among DeSoto County Tobacco Free Partnership members, SWAT members, and community partners who support the tobacco prevention program.

Quit Doc first received the tobacco prevention grant in 2009. Since that time, there has been a marked decrease tobacco use among middle and high school students in DeSoto County. There has also been a significant drop in secondhand smoke exposure among those same students.

Here are the numbers for comparison which show the percent of students who have used each product within the last 30 days:

High School	2008	2014	Percent Change
Cigarettes	18.1%	12.3%	-32.0%
Cigars	19.2%	13.7%	-28.6%
Smokeless	13.2%	12.7%	-3.8%
Any Form	32.9%	27.6%	-16.1%
Secondhand Smoke Exposure	59.5%	46.6%	-21.7%

Middle School	2008	2014	Percent Change
Cigarettes	6.9%	4.9%	-29.0%
Cigars	8.4%	2.7%	-67.9%
Smokeless	11.3%	4.0%	-64.6%
Any Form	17.5%	9.2%	-47.4%
Secondhand Smoke Exposure	53.8%	39.1%	-27.3%

Read More

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Quitting Tobacco is the Best New Year’s Resolution You Can Make!
By Whitney Browning, DeSoto County Tobacco Prevention Specialist
December 4, 2014

As the holiday season approaches, we often reflect on ways that we can improve ourselves as we prepare to turn the page on another year. For tobacco users, this often provides the extra motivation necessary to make a successful quit attempt.

It is no secret that there are many health risks associated with smoking; cancer, heart disease, and lung disease just to to name a few. However, another health risk is constantly used as a reason to smoke: stress.

For a smoker, nicotine depletion enhances feelings of irritability and tension. When this happens, the body is creating signals of stress because it is experiencing withdrawal symptoms. When you smoke to relieve stress, you are not only creating more stress in your body, but also a habit that will associate smoking with stressful situations. This increases your addiction to nicotine both mentally and physically.

“Realizing that nicotine doesn’t relieve stress but actually causes stress can be a hard thing for smokers to get their heads around,” said Dr. Barry Hummel, Co-Founder of the Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation, which manages the Tobacco Free Florida Program in DeSoto County. “Once smokers realize nicotine makes it harder to deal with their day-to-day stress… that they have always had the inner strength to handle stress on their own… they have a much easier time overcoming their addiction.” Read More

Trust the Quitter in You

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Local Businesses Recognize the Annual Great American Smoke Out
November 20 , 2014

On Thursday November 20, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto teamed up with the Arcadia Housing Authority and Transpower Construction Services, Inc., to promote tobacco cessation resources to employees by recognizing the annual Great American Smoke Out.

Postcards were created with the special message to “Trust the Quitter in You,” and encouraged employees to utilize the three free and easy ways to quit offered by Tobacco Free Florida. These postcards were mailed out to the employees. Becky Sue Mercer, Director of the Arcadia Housing Authority, said that the postcards would also most likely be mailed out to tenants as well, to broaden the scope of the message to more than just the employees.

Great American Smoke Out

Whitney Browning, Tobacco Prevention Specialist for DeSoto, agreed. ”When the message is something as important as encouraging people to quit using tobacco, it is just wonderful when it can be extended to reach more than just the intended audience.”

The Great American Smoke Out is an observance that raises awareness about the dangers of smoking and the many effective resources available to successfully quit. It is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and is currently in its 39th year.

For more information on tobacco cessation resources in DeSoto County, contact Whitney Browning at wbrowning@quitdoc.com.

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Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Recruitment Begins in DeSoto County for the 2014-2015 School Year
August 9, 2014

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and Students Working Against Tobacco participated in the annual Back-to-School Health Fair held by the DeSoto County Health Department on August 9, 2014.

This event is used by local agencies to provide low-income families with school supplies for youth, as well as information about services provided by local agencies. Subway even gave away free box lunches to attendees.

The Back-to-School Health Fair was held in the gym of DeSoto High School. Parents and their children were lined up outside the gym an hour before the event started waiting for the doors to open.

SWAT

The Tobacco Free Partnership (TFP) handed out 525 pencils promoting the Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) program and information about the dangers of second hand smoke to families that stopped by the table. SWAT also had a sign-up sheet at the table, and 43 youth signed up for more information about the SWAT clubs in the middle and high school... Read More

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Arcadia Housing Authority goes Smoke Free as of July 1, 2014

We would like to congratulate the Arcadia Housing Authority for their concern for their tenants.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. In DeSoto County, the use of cigarettes is higher than the statewide average. This means that more DeSoto County residents will die or be disabled from smoking related disease than in other areas of the state. Youth in DeSoto start smoking and dipping earlier. “Once a kid’s brain sees nicotine on a routine basis they become an addict willing to give tobacco companies thousands of dollars a year to support their addiction,” states Kirk Voelker MD, a pulmonologist and DeSoto tobacco prevention specialist. “On average, smokers die 14.5 years earlier than nonsmokers.”

Second hand smoke is also an issue because it causes respiratory problems, heart attacks and cancers in non-smokers. A person living with a smoker has triple the risk of a heart attack and 1.5 times the risk of cancer as those living in smoke free homes. It is estimated that second hand smoke kills over 50,000 people each year in the United States. “Smoking around your family members similar to putting a little poison in their food every day, it is not enough to kill them all at once but over time it may.” notes Dr. Voelker, “Since up to 60% of the air inside a duplex or apartment circulates from one unit to another, the smoker is not only poisoning their family but also poisoning their neighbors”... Read More

Walls Don't Protect

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**Partner Update: Links2Success Hosting the 2nd Annual Youth Career & Leadership Program
June 10, 2014**

Links2Success is gearing up for the 2014 Youth Leadership and Career Conference for DeSoto Middle School students. The conference is for students currently in 7th and 8th grade with a minimum 2.5 GPA and will run from July 7th-12th.

The 2014 Conference is designed to provide exposure to career, confidence, leadership, and interest-building activities to middle school students in DeSoto County. The primary aim of the camp is to introduce students to careers and education that can be obtained upon graduation from DeSoto County High School.

Links2Success Leadership Conference

The conference will help students develop a love for learning and set a goal to graduate and pursue post-secondary education opportunities. “I learned so much about careers and I now know that I want to go to college. We had so much fun and I’m happy that I was able to be in the first class,” stated Richelle Stewart, a graduate of the inaugural 2013 class... Read More

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Spotlight on SWAT: Meet Our Graduating Leaders of Students Working Against Tobacco Program in DeSoto County

Read more about two leaders of the Students Working Against Tobacco program from DeSoto County.

DeSoto students

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Florida Teens Win Top Awards Among
Youth Advocates Working Against Tobacco
Two Florida High School Students Were Honored in the Nation’s Capital
May 22 , 2014

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Magi Linscott, a Santa Rosa County high school student and Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) youth advocate, was named the National Youth Advocate of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. This is the highest award among the country’s top youth advocates working against tobacco.

Chandler Ash from Gilchrist County was named the Southern Region Youth Advocate of the Year. Both Florida teens were honored in Washington, D.C., on May 15 along with three other U.S. regional winners and a group winner. More than 400 public health, political, civic and business leaders attended the 18th annual gala to recognize these young leaders.

The Youth Advocates of the Year Awards honor outstanding young people who are among today's most effective leaders in tobacco control. These youth have fought hard to protect their generation from the dangers of tobacco by promoting tobacco prevention legislation, exposing tobacco marketing to kids, and keeping their peers from using tobacco... Read More

Florida Youth Advocates of the Year

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Partner Update: Foundation Seeks to Restore Smith Brown Gym
Ashley Coone, March 23, 2014

Standing before the Arcadia City Council recently, the Smith Brown Community Foundation Board of Directors unveiled an ambitious plan to renovate the Smith Brown Gym. The Foundation laid out its plans to restore the gym and transform it into a community facility. The renovated gym would provide a safe building for organizations to provide services for everyone from youth to seniors.

The renovation plans are the result of the Foundation’s yearlong community needs assessment and their past programming in the facility. “There’s such a rich history in this building. There are so many kids who started out playing and learning in this gym during school, after school, and summers. Many of these kids have become extremely successful adults. We look forward to restoring the gym and providing enrichment services to the youth of today and continuing a tradition of success,” Richard Bowers, affectionately known as “Coach”, chairman of the Smith Brown Community Foundation explained.

Smith Brown Gym

The Foundation has a preliminary phased plan to do just that. The initial phase of the project is to make the building safe and usable. Long-term plans include updating fixtures, equipment, adding air conditioning, painting and more... Read More

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DeSoto County Teens Tell Big Tobacco:
I am Not a “Replacement”
March 19, 2014

The tobacco industry is losing customers. Not only are more smokers quitting, every day, an estimated 1,315 people in the United States die because of smoking.

In response, the tobacco industry targets a new generation of potential nicotine addicts, which they call “replacement smokers.” A 1984 internal document from R.J. Reynolds’, the makers of Camel, stated: “Younger adult smokers are the only source of replacement smokers… If younger adults turn away from smoking, the industry must decline, just as a population which does not give birth will eventually dwindle.”

This Kick Butts Day, DeSoto’s Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) are speaking up and taking action to let Big Tobacco know they will be not replacements. Kick Butts Day, on March 19, is the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids national day of activism that empowers youth to fight back against Big Tobacco.

KBD Card

Kick Butts Day is during Spring Break for DeSoto schools. This is not stopping some SWAT members from celebrating the day out in the community and online. They have left Kick Butts Day information cards in areas with public information like The Last Chapter Coffee House and The Chamber of Commerce. They also represented the “I am Not a ‘Replacement’” campaign by wearing shirts with that message and taking “selfies.” The youth have the option to post their “selfies” on the DeSoto SWAT Facebook page with the tag #swatourvoice.

“Tobacco doesn’t make you look better,” said Andreina Martinez, a member of DeSoto High School SWAT. “It makes you look older than you really are. SWAT guides you on a regular basis to understand the harms of tobacco and reasons to stay away from it.” Read More

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DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco Participate in the Annual Christmas Card Lane Event
December 1, 2013

DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco Youth partnered with Drug-Free Youth of DeSoto youth to create a Christmas Card for “Christmas Card Lane”.

Christmas Card Lane

“Christmas Card Lane” is an event held by the DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce in which local businesses and other community organizations participate. The “Christmas Cards” are made of plywood with sizes ranging from 4’ x 8’ to 8’ x 8 and painted with Christmas greetings and placed in the park next to the Chamber building.

Chamber board members then vote on the cards under several different categories. Unfortunately, the SWAT/DFY card did not win any prizes. However, SWAT youth are already geared up and brainstorming card ideas for next year!

When you are in Arcadia during the holidays, be sure to stroll through Christmas Card Lane to see the local talent's handiwork!

For more information on the SWAT program in DeSoto County, contact Whitney Page Browning at wpage@quitdoc.com.

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The Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County Celebrates the Great American Smoke Out
November 21, 2013

November 21, 2013 was the 37th Annual Great American Smoke Out, the annual day set aside by the American Cancer Society to encourage smokers to quit, if only for one day. This year for the Great American Smoke Out, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County partnered with the City of Arcadia and DeSoto Memorial Hospital.

The City of Arcadia mailed out inserts with cessation information, and the local Tobacco Prevention Specialists were available to employees to help answer questions about cessation.

DeSoto Memorial Hospital combined the Great American Smoke Out with a hospital wide Halloween event to raise money for the hospital. They provided cessation information to employees in the cafeteria next to the money buckets. They kidnapped a skeleton from one of the departments and held it for ransom. Each department had a different bucket to drop money in. It was a creative way to raise money by creating competition between departments... Read More

DeSoto GASO
DeSoto County Tobacco Prevention Specialists, Dr. Kirk Voelker (L) and
Whitney Page Browning (R) share cessation information at DeSoto Memorial Hospital

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Frequently-Asked Questions About E-Cigarettes
By Tracy DeCubellis, M.S., Gilchrist County Tobacco Prevention Specialist
September 20, 2013

Recently, many people have come to me with questions about an emerging product on the market called e-cigarettes. There has been a lot of confusion about e-cigarettes, and most people have limited information gathered from advertisements or word of mouth from friends. I have put together the most frequently asked questions about e-cigarettes, along with the answers, to inform communities with currently updated information.

What is an e-cigarette?
An e-cigarette is a battery-powered nicotine delivery device that contains a cartridge filled with what the manufacturers often call “liquid”. This “liquid” often includes candy flavoring, nicotine, and chemicals to create a “vapor”. Most e-cigarette companies offer cartridges of differing nicotine levels, although no testing has been conducted to verify those claims.

E-Cigarette Components

Are e-cigarettes considered tobacco?
The FDA has jurisdiction over tobacco products under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, and has stated the intent to regulate e-cigarettes as a tobacco product... Read More

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Arcadia City Council Passes Resolution Encouraging Restrictions on the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products

On May 21, 2013 the Arcadia City Council passed a resolution opposing the sale of flavored tobacco within the city limits of Arcadia. Passage of the resolution came after an amazing presentation by Dr. Kirk Voelker, the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County, and youth from DeSoto County’s Students Working Against Tobacco. The SWAT youth were the driving force at the City Council meeting. High school students Joedy Rios and Ernesto Montalvo shared their message, “Tobacco targets me". With the help from two mini-SWAT members, elementary school students Julian Cendejas and Dylan Mendoza, this message resonated with the Council members.

Arcadia City Council

The resolution is symbolic gesture to help educate and call attention to the issue, hopefully prompting stronger action at the state and national level... Read More

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SWAT Students from North Florida and Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation Produce a Short Film on the Issue of Flavored Tobacco Products that Target Youth
April 24, 2014

Students from six counties in North Central Florida joined forces to write and produce "Who is the Target", a short film that focuses on the use of flavored products as a youth marketing strategy by tobacco companies.

The Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation helped produce the film, setting up a temporary studio at their office in Ocala, Florida. The staff converted a spare office by suspending a simple blue screen from the ceiling. "It is the same technique used by your local weatherman," said Dr. Barry Hummel, who directed the film. "It allows us to put graphic information behind the students during the editing process to reinforce each point they are trying to make."

Fourteen students from Alachua, Clay, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy, and Marion Counties were asked to contribute facts and information on the issue of flavored tobacco products that are not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The students then recorded the information at the make-shift studio... Read More

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ZOMBIES INVADE ARCADIA !!
February 24, 2013

On Sunday February 24th zombies invaded Arcadia.

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) teamed up with Sarasota based horror film producer and director Sean Haitz to shoot an anti-tobacco zombie commercial in downtown Arcadia. Mr. Haitz, of Faced Productions, has created Mango Slasher 3 and is currently working on Big Top Evil, a circus based horror film shot in Sarasota (preview available on You Tube).

Zombies invade

On February 5th, the Arcadia City Council gave permission for Quit Doc Education and Research Foundation to shoot this anti-tobacco commercial in Arcadia. With the help of the sheriff’s office the streets of downtown Arcadia were blocked for this production, as local teens stormed the streets starring in the video... Read More

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Be a Good Neighbor… Quit Smoking!
By Kirk G Voelker M.D.

If you are looking for a good reason to quit smoking, here are a few.

You will live longer - The average non-smoker lives 14 years longer than smokers. You will buy yourself quality years of life no matter what age you quit.
You will save money - You probably spend around $1500/year for every pack of cigarettes that you smoke each day. Just think what you could do with that money!
You will become more attractive - Seriously, smoking effects your breath, skin, clothes and teeth. Once you become a non-smoker you will realize that people can smell residual smoke on your body from several feet away.
You will be a better neighbor - Your smoke does not just stay in your unit. Up to 65% of the air is recirculated between units. Second hand smoke from your unit can set off a breathing or allergy attack in your neighbor.

DeSoto Memorial Hospital has a free stop smoking program. In addition, they provide free nicotine replacement therapy ($100 value). For information on how to quit smoking or how to create a better living environment for your neighbors, call Whitney Page, your DeSoto County Tobacco prevention specialist at 863 318-7848, or by email at wpage@quitdoc.com

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DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco Educate the Community on the Dangers of Flavored Tobacco

It is the end of the year and a rather busy 2nd quarter for DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) club advisors and youth members. With 2013 lying just on the horizon, the DeSoto County SWAT clubs have begun to setting the stage for candy-flavored resolutions of in DeSoto County.

In October, DeSoto High School SWAT and DeSoto Middle School SWAT handed out 250 Halloween postcards with candy to bring awareness to candy-flavored tobacco products. These cards educated DeSoto County citizens on the fact that candy-flavored tobacco products are made to entice to youth to start using tobacco products...
Read More

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Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation Awarded Tobacco Prevention Grant for DeSoto County

The Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation has been awarded a grant from the State of Florida Department of Health to provide tobacco awareness and prevention programs throughout DeSoto County. The programs are designed to reduce the number of teenagers who start smoking each year, to decrease the number of tobacco related deaths, and to provide information on appropriate methods to quit smoking. Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation has been the fiscal agent for the DeSoto County programs since 2009... Read More

News and Events

Together, We Can Reduce the Toll of Tobacco Use on Our Community February 21, 2023

DeSoto County SWAT Chapter: Raising Awareness in the Community January 24, 2023

Saturday Night Lights goes Tobacco Free! December 13, 2022

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Members Are Working Hard to Promote the Dangers of Tobacco Use in our Local Parks November 5, 2022

The DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Chapter is Gearing Up for the 2022-2023 School Year! September 19, 2022

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Kicks Off Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Strong September 14, 2022

Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates a Year of Success! May 12, 2022

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates Tobacco Free Florida Week with a Focus on Mental Health May 8, 2022

Cheap and Visible Tobacco Products Enter Our Community in the Retail Environment March 8, 2022

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Youth Recognize Through With Chew Week February 26, 2022

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco Youth are Working Hard to Educate on the Dangers of Tobacco Use December 13, 2021

The Tobacco Free Partnership and DeSoto County Sheriff's Office Work to Strengthen Enforcement of Tobacco Sales in DeSoto County December 8, 2021

Learn About the Mission of the Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County!

Lindsey Sager joins the QuitDoc Team in DeSoto County! July 30, 2021

The QuitDoc Foundation Continues to Advocate for a Tobacco Free Future in DeSoto County July 1, 2021

Tobacco-Free Partnership Members of DeSoto County Honored for Their Dedication to a Tobacco Free Future May 20, 2021

COVID and Social Distancing Can’t Keep DeSoto SWAT Youth from Advocating for The First Tobacco Free Generation May 20, 2021

DeSoto SWAT Youth Proudly Sport Their SWAT Mask and Encourage Their Peers to Spread Love Not COVID March 15, 2021

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Continues its Partnership with Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo March 11, 2021

DeSoto County Calls for Quit Attempts, Awareness During Great American Smokeout November 19, 2020

Students Working Against Tobacco Tackle Disposable E-Cigarettes on Not A Lab Rat Day October 21, 2020

DeSoto County SWAT Chapter Continues to Combat Tobacco Amidst the Pandemic September 11, 2020

Junior Leadership DeSoto Class II is Now Open for Enrollment September 10, 2020

Graduating SWAT Seniors Rock Their Honor Cords (& Masks) for Their Dedication to Tobacco Prevention Projects May 13, 2020

The Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco Work to Bring Tobacco Retail Licensing to DeSoto County April 1, 2020

Junior Leadership DeSoto Kicks off in DeSoto County March 12, 2020

The Benefits of Tobacco Free Events March 1, 2020

The Importance of Creating Comprehensive Tobacco-free Worksite Policies November 26, 2019

Trick or Treat! October 31, 2019

Not A Lab Rat Day Exposes How History is Repeating Itself When It Comes to Vaping October 16, 2019

State Decision Makers Visit DeSoto County August 5, 2019

Tobacco Education Delivered at the Annual DeSoto County Back to School Fair July 27, 2019

The Tobacco Free Partnership Sponsors the 2019 DeSoto High School Project Graduation May 31, 2019

Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates a Year of Success May 16, 2019

Graduating SWAT Seniors Recognized for Their Work on Local Tobacco Prevention Projects May 15, 2019

DeSoto County Youth Attend Prevention Camp During Spring Break May 14, 2019

Youth Vaping Has Been Declared an Epidemic May 1, 2019

New Advisor Joins DeSoto High School Students Working Against Tobacco Club April 4, 2019

DeSoto County TFP Members & SWAT Youth Conduct a Tobacco Litter Clean Up at McSwain Park in Honor of Kick Butts Day March 20, 2019

DeSoto Middle School Welcomes New Students Working Against Tobacco Advisor March 12, 2019

Reducing the Impact of Tobacco on Our Community through Tobacco Free Events March 6, 2019

Members of the Tobacco Free Partnership and DeSoto Memorial Hospital Encourage Community Members to ‘Love Their Health’ February 27, 2019

DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce Adopts a Tobacco Free Worksite Policy November 20, 2018

DeSoto County Celebrates the Week of the Family November 10, 2018

Trick or Treat! October 31, 2018

Tobacco Enters Our Community in the Retail Environment, Where it is Visible and Cheap August 1, 2018

Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Provides New Signage to DeSoto County School District August 1, 2018

Thirteen Students Working Against Tobacco Members Graduate from DeSoto High School Earning a SWAT Honor Cord! May 23, 2018

Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates a Year of Success May 2, 2018

Tobacco Use Remains a Public Health Threat in Florida, Especially Among Certain Subpopulations April 5, 2018

DeSoto County TFP Members & SWAT Youth Conduct a Tobacco Litter Clean-up at the New Mosaic Arena in Honor of Kick Butts Day March 22, 2018

DeSoto County Residents Cut the Ribbon on the New Smoke-Free Mosaic Arena March 1, 2018

DeSoto High School Encouraged Peers to “Skip the Dip” in Honor of 2018 Through with Chew Week and the Great American Spit-Out February 22, 2018

Celebrating Through with Chew Week at the Arcadia Housing Authority February 9, 2018

City of Arcadia Promotes "Tobacco Free Zones" Policy! December 4, 2017

Local Employers Benefit from Adoption of Tobacco Free Workplace Policies November 16, 2017

DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Members Share Information at Trick or Treat Event October 20, 2017

DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Local Legislative Delegation Meeting October 20, 2017

DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Statewide Meeting August 20, 2017

Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Back-to-School Health Fair July 29, 2017

Citizens and Youth benefit from Establishment of Tobacco Free Zones July 1, 2017

Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Recognizes Members through Awards Meeting May 16, 2017

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and DHS SWAT Youth Educate Parents and Children at Jim Space Park for Tobacco Free Florida Week May 11, 2017

DeSoto High School Students Working Against Tobacco Celebrate Earth Day in DeSoto County with a Park Clean-Up April 19, 2017

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Shares Information on the Dangers of Tobacco at the Arcadia Rodeo March 12, 2017

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and the QuitDoc Foundation are raising awareness during “Through with Chew Week” February 10, 2017

The Issue of Smokeless Tobacco January 17, 2017

New Federal Housing and Urban Development Smoke-Free Policy Reflects Steps Taken Earlier by Aracadia Housing Authority December 6, 2016

DeSoto Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Week of the Family Celebration November 12, 2016

Tobacco Free Florida and Tobacco free Partnership of DeSoto County Encourage Tobacco Users to Quit on the Great American Smokeout on November 17. November 10, 2016

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Members Attend Regional Training in Wauchula, Florida November 5, 2016

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County partners with the DeSoto County School Board and Drug Free DeSoto Coalition to Recognize Red Ribbon Week November 2, 2016

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco Youth Educate Local Decision Makers on Point-of-Sale Tobacco Advertising November 1, 2016

Tobacco Free Partnership Members Participate in Community-Wide Trick-or-Treat Event October 31, 2016

Point of Sale Assessments Come to DeSoto County August 23, 2016

Tobacco Free Partnership and SWAT Meet and Greet Community Members at Politics in the Park August 18, 2016

Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Recruitment Begins in DeSoto County for the 2016-2017 School Year August 1, 2016

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County Attends Back to School Fair July 23, 2016

Tobacco Free Partnership Presents Tobacco Prevention Program to Youth at Catholic Charities June 8, 2016

Together, We Can Reduce the Toll of Tobacco Use on Our Community
February 21, 2023

DeSoto County SWAT Chapter: Raising Awareness in the Community
January 24, 2023

Saturday Night Lights goes Tobacco Free!
December 13, 2022

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Members Are Working Hard to Promote the Dangers of Tobacco Use in our Local Parks
November 5, 2022

The DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Chapter is Gearing Up for the 2022-2023 School Year!
September 19, 2022

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Kicks Off
Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Strong
September 14, 2022

Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates a Year of Success!
May 12, 2022

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates Tobacco Free Florida Week with a Focus on Mental Health
May 8, 2022

Cheap and Visible Tobacco Products Enter Our Community in the Retail Environment
March 8, 2022

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Youth Recognize Through With Chew Week
February 26, 2022

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco Youth are Working Hard to Educate on the Dangers of Tobacco Use
December 13, 2021

The Tobacco Free Partnership and DeSoto County Sheriff's Office Work to Strengthen Enforcement of Tobacco Sales in DeSoto County
December 8, 2021

Lindsey Sager joins the QuitDoc Team in DeSoto County!
July 30, 2021

The QuitDoc Foundation Continues to Advocate for a Tobacco Free Future in DeSoto County
July 1, 2021

Tobacco-Free Partnership Members of DeSoto County Honored for Their Dedication to a Tobacco Free Future
May 20, 2021

COVID and Social Distancing Can’t Keep DeSoto SWAT Youth from Advocating for The First Tobacco Free Generation
May 20, 2021

DeSoto SWAT Youth Proudly Sport Their SWAT Mask and Encourage Their Peers to Spread Love Not COVID
March 15, 2021

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Continues its Partnership with Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo
March 11, 2021

DeSoto County Calls for Quit Attempts, Awareness During Great American Smokeout
November 19, 2020

Students Working Against Tobacco Tackle Disposable E-Cigarettes on Not A Lab Rat Day
October 21, 2020

DeSoto County SWAT Chapter Continues to Combat Tobacco Amidst the Pandemic
September 11, 2020

Junior Leadership DeSoto Class II is Now Open for Enrollment
September 10, 2020

Graduating SWAT Seniors Rock Their Honor Cords (& Masks) for Their Dedication to Tobacco Prevention Projects
May 13, 2020

The Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco Work to Bring Tobacco Retail Licensing to DeSoto County
April 1, 2020

Junior Leadership DeSoto Kicks off in DeSoto County
March 12, 2020

The Benefits of Tobacco Free Events
March 1, 2020

The Importance of Creating Comprehensive Tobacco-free Worksite Policies
November 26, 2019

Trick or Treat!
October 31, 2019

Not A Lab Rat Day Exposes How History is Repeating Itself When It Comes to Vaping
October 16, 2019

State Decision Makers Visit DeSoto County
August 5, 2019

Tobacco Education Delivered at the Annual DeSoto County Back to School Fair
July 27, 2019

The Tobacco Free Partnership Sponsors the 2019 DeSoto High School Project Graduation
May 31, 2019

Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates a Year of Success
May 16, 2019

Graduating SWAT Seniors Recognized for Their Work on Local Tobacco Prevention Projects
May 15, 2019

DeSoto County Youth Attend Prevention Camp During Spring Break
May 14, 2019

Youth Vaping Has Been Declared an Epidemic
May 1, 2019

New Advisor Joins DeSoto High School Students Working Against Tobacco Club
April 4, 2019

DeSoto County TFP Members & SWAT Youth Conduct a Tobacco Litter Clean Up at McSwain Park in Honor of Kick Butts Day
March 20, 2019

DeSoto Middle School Welcomes New Students Working Against Tobacco Advisor
March 12, 2019

Reducing the Impact of Tobacco on Our Community through Tobacco Free Events
March 6, 2019

Members of the Tobacco Free Partnership and DeSoto Memorial Hospital Encourage Community Members to ‘Love Their Health’
February 27, 2019

DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce Adopts a Tobacco Free Worksite Policy
November 20, 2018

DeSoto County Celebrates the Week of the Family
November 10, 2018

Trick or Treat!
October 31, 2018

Tobacco Enters Our Community in the Retail Environment, Where it is Visible and Cheap
August 1, 2018

Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Provides New Signage to DeSoto County School District
August 1, 2018

Thirteen Students Working Against Tobacco Members Graduate from DeSoto High School Earning a SWAT Honor Cord!
May 23, 2018

Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Celebrates a Year of Success
May 2, 2018

Tobacco Use Remains a Public Health Threat in Florida, Especially Among Certain Subpopulations
April 5, 2018

DeSoto County TFP Members & SWAT Youth Conduct a Tobacco Litter Clean-up at the New Mosaic Arena in Honor of Kick Butts Day
March 22, 2018

DeSoto County Residents Cut the Ribbon on the New Smoke-Free Mosaic Arena
March 1, 2018

DeSoto High School Encouraged Peers to “Skip the Dip” in Honor of 2018 Through with Chew Week and the Great American Spit-Out
February 22, 2018

Celebrating Through with Chew Week at the Arcadia Housing Authority
February 9, 2018

City of Arcadia Promotes "Tobacco Free Zones" Policy!
December 4, 2017

Local Employers Benefit from Adoption of Tobacco Free Workplace Policies
November 16, 2017

DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Members Share Information at Trick or Treat Event
October 20, 2017

DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Local Legislative Delegation Meeting
October 20, 2017

DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Statewide Meeting
August 20, 2017

Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Back-to-School Health Fair
July 29, 2017

Citizens and Youth benefit from Establishment of Tobacco Free Zones
July 1, 2017

Tobacco-Free Partnership of DeSoto County Recognizes Members through Awards Meeting
May 16, 2017

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and DHS SWAT Youth Educate Parents and Children at Jim Space Park for Tobacco Free Florida Week
May 11, 2017

DeSoto High School Students Working Against Tobacco Celebrate Earth Day in DeSoto County with a Park Clean-Up
April 19, 2017

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County Shares Information on the Dangers of Tobacco at the Arcadia Rodeo
March 12, 2017

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County and the QuitDoc Foundation are raising awareness during “Through with Chew Week”
February 10, 2017

The Issue of Smokeless Tobacco
January 17, 2017

New Federal Housing and Urban Development Smoke-Free Policy Reflects Steps Taken Earlier by Aracadia Housing Authority
December 6, 2016

DeSoto Tobacco Free Partnership and Students Working Against Tobacco Members Attend Week of the Family Celebration
November 12, 2016

Tobacco Free Florida and Tobacco free Partnership of DeSoto County Encourage Tobacco Users to Quit on the Great American Smokeout on November 17.
November 10, 2016

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Members Attend Regional Training in Wauchula, Florida
November 5, 2016

The Tobacco Free Partnership of DeSoto County partners with the DeSoto County School Board and Drug Free DeSoto Coalition to Recognize Red Ribbon Week
November 2, 2016

DeSoto Students Working Against Tobacco Youth Educate Local Decision Makers on Point-of-Sale Tobacco Advertising
November 1, 2016

Tobacco Free Partnership Members Participate in Community-Wide Trick-or-Treat Event
October 31, 2016

Point of Sale Assessments Come to DeSoto County
August 23, 2016

Tobacco Free Partnership and SWAT Meet and Greet Community Members at Politics in the Park
August 18, 2016

Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Recruitment Begins in DeSoto County for the 2016-2017 School Year
August 1, 2016

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Desoto County Attends Back to School Fair
July 23, 2016

Tobacco Free Partnership Presents Tobacco Prevention Program to Youth at Catholic Charities
June 8, 2016

QuitDoc Foundation Exposes the Risks of Secondhand Smoke
Eighth Annual Tobacco Free Florida Week Aims to Break the Myth that Secondhand Smoke is Harmless
May 14, 2016

DeSoto County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Celebrate Another Great Year!
May 13, 2016