News and Events
It’s The Close Of Another Great Year Of Supporting The Mission of the Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County!
June 15, 2023
The TFP of Indian River County consists of a variety of members across multiple sectors such as local non-profits, Substance Awareness Center of Indian River County, Indian River County Healthy Start, Drug Abuse Treatment Association (DATA), Indian River County and The City of Vero Beach staff, local law enforcement, and various private businesses. We know grassroots efforts of our community help implement policy interventions, and to that end we are continually seeking to expand our partnership. We are always sharing our efforts, to recruit new members and raise awareness of our work.
A Key element of prevention strategies is to build partnerships and strengthen coalitions. Comprehensive statewide tobacco control programs must coordinate community-level interventions that counter tobacco industry marketing and mobilize communities to ultimately lead to social norm and behavior changes. Our partnership and its members are a key part in making this change and educating the public about the broader context of tobacco related diseases, which can further mobilize public support for tobacco-free policies.
Throughout this fiscal year, the Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County has come together to accomplish great things. Awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use was brought at the Family Fun Fest in Vero Beach in February. Then, we continued the educational fun in March at the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches 29th Annual BBQ. Events like these, bring the community together and are crucial for meeting the goals of the Tobacco Free Partnership of Indian River County. We will continue to build relationships and engage in the community about tobacco in future events in the coming year.
During our May Partnership meeting we discussed an increase in confiscated electronic vaping devices in many of our Indian River County Schools. This increase proves a need for additional education and support for our youth. With Not A Lab Rat Day coming up in October, 2023, the partnership, along with SWAT youth, will conduct 3 Chat & Chew’s the week of October 18th. They will be held at Vero Beach High School, Sebastian High School and Freshman Learning Center. The National Guard will also be there with their tobacco talk and lungs.
