100% TFS – Why Comply?

So your district has decided to go 100% Tobacco Free? Congratulations! But a policy no one complies with doesn't do anybody any good. The 100% TFS initiative is about more than adopting a policy - it's about sticking to it and providing a safer school district for your community's children. A study conducted in 2000 shows smoking rates among adolescents were 11% lower in schools that complied with a 100% TFS policy than in schools that had a policy but didn't enforce it. In addition, the 2005 NC Youth Tobacco Survey showed that 27,000 fewer North Carolina students were current smokers compared to 2003. The activities of the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund in advocating for 100% TFS and creating awareness among teens about the dangers of tobacco also increased in that two-year span. These data together show that adopting and complying with 100% TFS policies is reducing the prevalence of youth smoking in North Carolina. Administrators in North Carolina districts that are already tobacco-free say the combination of communicating the policy clearly and promoting compliance equally for all individuals leads to a successful implementation.

This part of the Web site will help you learn how to make sure that everyone on school property follows the policy, and how to make your school district completely 100% tobacco-free.

Here's how to get started:

Download From Policy to Practice: Guidelines for Implementing a 100% TFS Policy in your School District.
Learn about common problems with compliance and what you can do to make a difference.
Learn how to promote compliance at football games.
Find resources about spit tobacco for coaches.
Learn about the consequences of violating the policy for students, employees and visitors.
Find out the answers to Frequently Asked Questions about compliance and all aspects of the 100% TFS policy.
Find a compliance plan.
View resources to help people quit smoking.
Find out about training workshops offered by the Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch.