Youth Tobacco Initiatives and Resources
Tobacco-Free School Policy
Healthy
Communities of the Capital Area (HCCA) has engaged several
school districts across our Local Service Area
(LSA) to improve existing tobacco policies to meet the guidelines outlined
in the Partnership for a Tobacco-Free
Maine (PTM) guide to Creating
and Maintaining a Tobacco-Free School Policy.
Schools that revise their existing tobacco policies to meet the PTM guidelines earn the distinction of being a Star School and receive free tobacco-free campus signage.
Star
Schools in our LSA include:
- Augusta Public Schools
- RSU 11 (Gardiner Area Schools)
- RSU 38 (Maranacook Area Schools)
- Winthrop Public Schools
HCCA continues to work with schools across our local service area to further update policies to better protect the health of youth, school staff, and families. If you would like to assess your school's tobacco policy, contact Renee Page.
Not-On-Tobacco Treatment Program for Teens
HCCA has partnered with the American
Lung Association of New England to offer Not
On Tobacco (N-O-T) tobacco treatment for teens training for school staff across
our LSA . N-O-T is designed specifically as a voluntary, non-punitive
program for teens, using a gender-sensitive, 10-session curriculum that
includes booster sessions. The sessions are facilitated in schools
and other community settings by teachers, school nurses, counselors,
and other staff and volunteers specially trained by the American Lung
Association of New England.
If you, or members of your school staff are interested in N-O-T training to help youth quit tobacco, contact Renee Page.
Smoke-Free Homes Pledge
HCCA has partnered with the Smoke-Free
Housing Coalition of Maine to implement the Smoke-Free
Homes Pledge Program across our LSA. Those who take The
Smoke-Free Homes Pledge, pledge that they will not smoke in their home, will not permit others to do so, and will
choose to smoke outside, if they smoke. The Smoke-Free Homes Pledge Program is designed to raise the awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke. Once the pledge is signed, a certificate and other supporting items are sent or given to the participant.
No BUTS!
No
BUTS! (Blocking Underage Tobacco Sales) is an outreach and training
program for 
retailers designed to promote responsible tobacco sales.
The program was created jointly by the Maine
State Attorney General's Office and the Partnership
for a Tobacco-Free Maine to remind retail employers, managers, and employees
that, along with stiff fines and penalties for selling tobacco to underage
consumers, there is a compelling public health incentive for blocking
tobacco sales to minors.
For more information on implementing the No BUTS! program, contact Neill Miner.
LifeSkills™ Training Program
HCCA supports implementation of the LifeSkills™
Training Program, a research-based substance abuse prevention program
proven to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse, and violence
by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote
the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors. HCCA supports
LifeSkills™ teacher training and program implementation across our
LSA .
Youth Anti-Tobacco Resources
Maine
Tobacco Helpline
Explanation of the services offered through Maine's free, confidential
tobacco treatment HelpLine for teens
1-800-NEW-CHOICE (1-800-639-2464)
Campaign
for Tobacco-Free Kids
Tobacco advocacy and education
The Truth Campaign
Interactive website funded by the Legacy
Foundation
Got
a Minute? Give it to Your Kids
Campaign to help parents become more involved with their preteens,
a behavior that acts as a protective factor against the
lure of tobacco
Partnership
for a Tobacco-Free Maine
The Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program responsible
for tobacco prevention and control throughout Maine
American Lung
Association of New England
Lung health promotion and lung disease prevention for Maine
BADvertising
Doctored-up misleading tobacco ads to create a more accurate picture
Children Opposed to Smoking Tobacco
Kid-developed site with tobacco education and exposes truth in tobacco
advertising
Tobacco
Timeline
History of the tobacco industry from 6000 B.C. to the present
Ignite
Youth advocacy program that engages in local and statewide advocacy
for tobacco policy change
Our local service area includes: Augusta, Chelsea, Farmingdale, Fayette, Gardiner, Hallowell, Litchfield, Manchester, Monmouth, Mount Vernon, Pittston, Randolph, Readfield, Richmond, Vienna, Wayne, West Gardiner, Windsor, Winthrop.
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