The list of illnesses caused by tobacco use is long and contains many of the most common causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, lung disease, many forms of cancer, and vascular diseases.
Cigarette use alone, results in an estimated 430,000 deaths each year in the U.S., including 28,600 deaths in Florida. Secondhand smoke causes 50,000 deaths each year among adult non-smokers in the United States with 2,520 of those deaths among Floridians.
The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program in Miami-Dade County is dedicated to enhancing the well-being of residents by preventing and reducing the use of tobacco and nicotine products through strategic policy, system, and environmental interventions across four primary objectives:
- Preventing the Initiation of Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults
- Eliminating Exposure to Secondhand Smoke
- Promoting Smoking Cessation Among Adults and Youth
- Sustaining the County’s Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Chapter and Tobacco-Free Workgroup
This program provides free technical assistance to aid in developing and implementing tobacco-free policies as well as offers community presentations, educational resources, and support for local events. The program also promotes the Tobacco Free Florida’s Quit Your Way Program which furnishes tools and services to assist individuals in quitting tobacco use and overcoming nicotine dependence. The program presents various quitting options, including phone, group, web, and additional tools like text and email support, catering to both adult and youth populations.
The Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade Tobacco-Free Workgroup collaborates with community partners to diminish smoking, tobacco, and electronic cigarette use, as well as exposure to secondhand smoke in Miami-Dade County. The workgroup concentrates on initiatives aimed at preventing the onset of tobacco use, particularly among youth and young adults, providing support for smoking cessation, and encouraging policy change to eradicate secondhand smoke exposure at local and state levels. Its initiatives are Policy and Surveillance, Youth and Young Adults, Cessation Access, and Tobacco-Free Environments which encompasses worksites, educational institutions, multiunit housing, bars, beaches, and parks.
Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT)
SWAT is Florida’s statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate, and equip Florida youth to revolt against tobacco use. It is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco-free future. SWAT is designed to create a youth-led, youth-driven club that will work toward prevention of tobacco use and addiction in local schools and communities.