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Roanoke Rapids School District goes Tobacco-Free
Congratulations to the Roanoke Rapids School District, which has just
adopted a 100% tobacco-free school policy, making it North Carolina's 64th 100% tobacco-free school district!
Halifax and Anson Counties go Tobacco-Free
Congratulations to Halifax and Anson Counties, which have recently
adopted 100% tobacco-free school policies, making them North Carolina's 62nd
and 63rd 100% tobacco-free school districts!
100% Tobacco-Free Schools Leadership Forums
The NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund, in collaboration with the NC Tobacco
Prevention and Control Branch, is sponsoring a round of Tobacco-Free School
Leadership Forums. They will be held in Cherokee on November 3, 2005,
and in Wilkesboro on December 5, 2005. The forums
are half-day lunch and panel discussion designed to help superintendents,
school board members, principals, athletic directors, public health leaders
and others learn more about adopting and ensuring compliance with a 100% tobacco-free
school policy. Lunch and networking time is accompanied by an in-depth panel
discussion by a superintendent, board member and high school principal from
NC's 100% tobacco-free school districts. There is no cost to attend.
Download a registration
form or click here for more information.
Watauga County goes Tobacco-Free
Congratulations to Watauga County, which has just adopted a 100%
tobacco-free school policy, making it North Carolina's 61st 100% tobacco-free school district!
Duplin County goes Tobacco-Free
Congratulations to Duplin County, which has just adopted a 100%
tobacco-free school policy, making it North Carolina's 60th 100% tobacco-free school district!
Burke County goes Tobacco-Free
Congratulations to Burke County, which has just adopted a 100%
tobacco-free school policy, making it North Carolina's 59th 100% tobacco-free school district!
North Carolina reaches the halfway point with 58 of 115 school districts tobacco-free!
In a major milestone for the students in North Carolina schools,
Alleghany, Northampton, and Washington counties have adopted 100%
Tobacco-Free School policies, which means that now HALF of the school
districts in the state are 100% Tobacco-Free! Come out and help
celebrate on July 6! Click here for more
information.
Mitchell County goes Tobacco-Free
Congratulations to Mitchell County, which has just adopted a 100%
tobacco-free school policy, making it North Carolina's 55th 100% tobacco-free school district!
Rockingham County goes Tobacco-Free
Congratulations to Rockingham County, which has just adopted a 100%
tobacco-free school policy, making it North Carolina's 54th 100% tobacco-free school district!
Vance and Rutherford Counties go Tobacco-Free
Congratulations to Vance and Rutherford Counties, which have just adopted 100%
tobacco-free school policies, making them North Carolina's 52nd and 53rd 100% tobacco-free school districts!
Secondhand Smoke Affects Cognitive Abilities in Children
A new study highlighting the relationship between environmental tobacco
smoke (ETS) and cognitive abilities among children provides further
justification for 100% tobacco free school policies. The data show a
relationship between ETS exposure and cognitive deficits even at extremely
low levels of exposure. Click here to read
more.
New Study on Childhood Smoking
A research report in the November edition of Archives of Pediatrics &
Adolescent Medicine shows that even one cigarette smoked before age 10
nearly doubles the probability of habitual smoking. This study adds urgency
to the need for parents to keep cigarettes away from kids and for school
districts to provide a tobacco free environment that minimizes opportunities
to try - and later become addicted to - cigarettes. The study by the Chapel
Hill Center of Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation is the first to
measure smoking habits of one group of kids from third grade to teen-age
years. Click here to read more.
Warren County goes Tobacco-Free
Congratulations to Warren County, which has just adopted a 100% tobacco-free school policy, making
it North Carolina's 51st 100% tobacco-free school district!
Dare County goes Tobacco-Free
Dare County has just adopted a 100% tobacco-free school policy, making
it North Carolina's 50th 100% tobacco-free school district!
NC Announces Two New Tobacco-Free School Districts
Elkin City Schools and McDowell County Schools are North Carolina's news
100% tobacco free school districts. This brings the total in the state to 49
- 42.6% of North Carolina's school districts are 100% Tobacco-Free. What's
most important is that 49.2% of students and 47.1 % of school employees have
the opportunity to learn and work in a safe and healthy environment. The
tobacco-free schools movement in North Carolina is gaining momentum. Since
2002, there has been a 277% percent increase in the number of school
districts that have adopted the policy. Isn't it time all school districts
are 100% tobacco-free?
100% Tobacco Free Schools Leadership Forums
The NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund, in collaboration with the NC Tobacco
Prevention and Control Branch, is sponsoring a round of Tobacco Free School
Leadership Forums. They will be held at the following locations: Spruce
Pine (March 23); Kenansville (April 4); and Winston-Salem (April 5). Forums
are 2-hour lunch and panel discussion designed to help superintendents,
school board members, principals, athletic directors, public health leaders
and others learn more about adopting and enforcing a 100% tobacco free
school policy. Lunch and networking time is followed by an in-depth panel
discussion by a superintendent, board member and high school principal from
NC's 100% tobacco free school districts. There is no cost to attend.
Download a registration
form or click here for
more information.
N-O-T and T.A.T.U. Training Registration
The American Lung Association is taking registrations for their upcoming Not
On Tobacco (N.O.T.) and Teens Against Tobacco Use (T.A.T.U) facilitator
trainings. The N.O.T. Training will be held in Pittsboro, NC on Feb. 28,
2005 and the T.A.T.U. Training will be held in Edenton, NC on
March 11, 2005. If you are interested, please register online at
http://www.lungnc.org or contact Demetrius Harvey, American Lung
Association Program Coordinator, at 919 832-8326.
Currituck County Schools 47th Tobacco-Free School District
On January 10, 2005, Currituck County Schools became the 47th school
district in NC to adopt a 100% tobacco-free school policy. Currently, 41%
of NC school districts have adopted this policy – a 262% increase since
2002. More importantly, 49% of NC students have the opportunity to attend
school in a safe and healthy learning environment. Currituck County Schools
joins other tobacco-free school districts in northeastern NC – including
Gates, Hertford, Perquimans, Bertie and Edenton-Chowan Schools.
View the news release for more information on
this policy change.
Montgomery County Schools Adopt 100% Tobacco Free Policy
The Montgomery County Board of Education has voted to adopt a 100% tobacco free schools policy. Currently, 46 out
of 115 North Carolina school districts have adopted the policy, and more
than 40 are working towards this goal. Click here to
go to the updated map of NC's tobacco free school districts.
Macon County Schools Adopt 100% Tobacco Free Policy
On November 22, 2004, the Macon County Board of Education voted
unanimously to adopt a 100% tobacco free schools policy. Currently, 45 out
of 115 North Carolina school districts have adopted the policy, and more
than 40 are working towards this goal. Click here to
go to the updated map of NC's tobacco free school districts. The policy
will take effect at the beginning of the 2005/2006 school year. Sandy Conaty,
the Health Educator with the Macon County Health Department was instrumental
in the policy change effort. To learn more, contact Sandy at
sconaty@maconnc.org.
Richmond County Schools adopt a 100% Tobacco-Free School Policy
On November 2, 2004, the Richmond County School Board adopted a gold
standard 100% Tobacco-Free School Policy, which will go into effect July 1,
2005. FirstHealth of the Carolinas, working together with local youth
advocacy group Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU), were instrumental in this
policy change effort. To find out more, contact Sallie Beth Johnson,
the health educator at FirstHealth of the Carolinas at 910-215-4434 or
sbjohnson@firsthealth.org.
Tobacco-Free Schools Leadership Forum upcoming in Goldsboro
On December 3, 2004 in Goldsboro,
NC, school and community leaders in eastern North Carolina will gather to
learn how their school district can successfully adopt and enforce a 100%
tobacco-free school policy. There is no cost to attend this 2-hour
program. More...
Mark your calendar: Workshop for developing and enforcing 100% tobacco-free school policies
Workshops will be held in Marion, NC November 4-5, 2004, and in Goldsboro,
NC December 2-3, 2004 to help learn how to develop and successfully enforce
100% tobacco-free school policies in your school district. Space is
limited, register early! More...
Four more North Carolina school districts adopt a 100% tobacco-free school policy
At the end of September 2004, North Carolinians are celebrating the adoption
of 100% tobacco-free school policies by four more NC school districts,
affecting more than 32,000 NC students: Newton-Conover City Schools,
Cleveland County Schools, Moore County Schools, and the federally funded
school district for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians.
More...
NC Tobacco-Free Schools movement celebrates 40th tobacco-free school district
On July 22, 2004, health advocates called for a statewide celebration to
mark the fact that the Pamlico County School Board has voted unanimously to
become North Carolina's 40th school district to adopt a 100% Tobacco-Free
School policy. More...
Study shows secondhand smoke is much more
dangerous than first thought
A new study published June 30, 2004 in the British Medical Journal shows
that the harmful effects of secondhand smoke may be much greater than previously
thought, increasing risk of heart disease by up to 60%.
More...
UNC study reveals few problems banning smoking at NC schools
A new UNC Chapel Hill study published in October 2003 in the Journal of School Health shows that
few of the potential problems cited as barriers to passage of Tobacco-Free
School policies actually occur. NC School districts passing such policies
are not experiencing substantial loss of teachers, difficulty enforcing
the new policy, or other problems. More...
UNC study shows youth exposure to smoke causes asthma and millions in medical expenses
A new UNC Chapel Hill study published in February 2004 in the American Journal
of Public Health showed that middle school students' smoking and exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke were responsible for 15% of middle school students'
asthma cases in North Carolina, and $1.34 million is spent treating these cases
each year. More...
NC Tobacco-Free Schools movement celebrates
40th tobacco-free school district
On July 22, 2204, health advocates called for a statewide celebration to mark
the fact that the Pamlico County School Board has voted unanimously to become
North Carolina's 40th school district to adopt a 100% Tobacco-Free School
policy. More...
UNC study shows youth exposure to smoke causes asthma and millions in medical expenses
A new UNC Chapel Hill study published in February 2004 in the American Journal
of Public Health showed that middle school students' smoking and exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke were responsible for 15% of middle school students'
asthma cases in North Carolina, and $1.34 million is spent treating these cases
each year. More...
Study shows tobacco experimentation more
prevalent in asthmatic children and in schools with low academic performance
A study presented at CHEST 2003 found that inner-city children attending a
school district's lowest academic performing schools had a higher rate of
tobacco exposure and experimentation than students in other district schools.
It also found that children with asthma were more likely to experiment with
tobacco and be exposed to smoke than children without asthma.
More...