August 28, 2024
The start of a new school year can be an exciting time for many students – for others, it can be a source of stress and anxiety. New learning environments, higher expectations, peer pressure, and other stressors can all make students more vulnerable to making unhealthy decisions such as vaping.
Youth Tobacco Use Raises Concerns
Communities across the country continue to experience high smoking rates, wide tobacco accessibility, and increased e-cigarette usage. This, combined with targeted attacks on young people from the tobacco industry, has .
According to the California Department of Public Health’s (CYTS), the average student in 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 County begins using tobacco at age 14. More than a third of students (38.6%) believed that ‘most’ or ‘all’ of the students at their school vape, and more than half the students (56.9%) saw tobacco used at school in the last 30 days.
Empowering Youth to Lead Change
To address these alarming statistics, the 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 applied for and was awarded a from the California Department of Education. Through the grant, the County Office of Education directly supports 30 middle schools and 18 high schools from 18 school districts, in addition to its own Court and Community Schools program, in providing tobacco use and prevention education to students.
Throughout the school year, the County Office of Education engages school site leaders, peer educators, and community partners to raise students’ awareness of the dangers of nicotine, build students’ leadership skills, and foster a supportive school climate that centers the voices of students who are marginalized. It has also partnered with several community organizations, including the , which hosts a Youth Advisory Group, as well as , , and department.
Last year, due to these efforts, more than 500 middle and high school students attended trainings and developed campus initiatives to bring awareness and positive change to their school site. Students also attended conferences, workshops, presentations, and events to receive mental health, anti-vaping/cessation, and other resources.
In March 2024, for example, the Bay Area County Offices of Education, in partnership with the Alameda County Youth Advisory Board, Contra Costa CourAGE Youth Health Coalition, and the Santa Clara Peer Advocate Advisory Council, hosted the 2024 Teens Tackle Tobacco (TTT) Youth Conference “Empower Your Tomorrow.” 165 middle and high school students from 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 County participated. For the last 25+ years, hundreds of tobacco use prevention education (TUPE) peer educators and other Bay Area young people have attended this amazing event at UC Berkeley. The conferences are for students, run by students, and all about youth leadership and wellness. Each conference includes an inspiring keynote speaker and 20+ engaging workshops on a variety of health and wellness-related topics.
“It was exciting to attend a youth-led conference at UC Berkeley with hundreds of students from across the Bay Area," shared one sixth-grade student. "I participated in a songwriting workshop with Music Notes. It was a creative way to share positive messages in a way that resonates with youth.”
The Year Ahead
As the 2024-25 school year gets underway, the County Office of Education will engage even more students and educators to become tobacco prevention advocates and empower young people to be agents of change in their school communities.
"We are looking forward to our new collaboration with Youth Leadership Institute to channel the power of youth voice and youth-centered issues related to tobacco and nicotine use and the impact of retailers in our communities," shared Karla Rodriguez, Tobacco Use and Prevention Education Coordinator at the County Office of Education. "We are also hosting a California Healthy Kids Survey Data Workshop in late October with district teams to analyze last year's survey data and develop data-driven program planning for this academic year. This process will support intentional and meaningful programming that aligns with district strategic goals."
By investing in youth leadership, education, and community collaboration, 澳门六合彩开奖记录资料 County is making significant strides in preventing tobacco use among young people and creating a healthier and more promising future for all students.
