Tobacco Prevention

Community and Youth Engagement

At the Center for Well-Being, we believe health disparities are best addressed through compassionate community-level work and wide-reaching, progressive policy changes. For over twenty years, we have offered group cessation classes and educated the community about the negative health effects of smoking and vaping. In partnership with the Sonoma County Department of Health Services, our community- and youth-driven policy work has advanced over a dozen tobacco prevention policies to protect our youth from the effects of tobacco.
For more information, please contact Michelle McGarry at mmcgarry@nccwb.org
Events
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Policy Successes

For over 15 years, we have helped educate community members, businesses, youth, and policymakers to successfully advance smoke-free multi-unit housing policies and tobacco retail licensing (TRL) policies.

Tobacco Retail Licensing (TRL) Policies require any retailer of tobacco products to obtain a license, which may include restrictions on the sale and marketing of tobacco products.

TRLs can help address multiple community concerns, such as youth access to tobacco, youth exposure to marketing, retailer density, and retailer location. More recently, these policies have begun to include bans on e-cigarettes, vapes, and flavored products, which are primarily targeted at youth.

  • City of Sonoma
  • City of Sebastopol
  • Unincorporated Sonoma County
  • Town of Windsor
  • City of Petaluma
  • City of Santa Rosa

Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing (SFMUH) Policies

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Youth Vaping Epidemic

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Tobacco Marketing & Health Disparities

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Youth Vaping Cessation

he Center offers a youth vaping cessation program utilizing Stanford Medicine’s Tobacco Prevention Toolkit, a theory-based and evidence-informed curriculum created by educators, parents, and researchers aimed at preventing middle and high school students’ use of vaping products. This four-session support group provides youth with a non-judgmental, safe space to focus on building healthy coping skills to quit vaping. Our cessation rate beats national standards, and we have helped over 75 Sonoma County students stop vaping for good!

If your school is interested in funding this program, please contact Michelle Escobar McGarry at mmcgarry@nccwb.org about fees.

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Get Involved

Join the Tobacco-Free Sonoma County Community Coalition! Its mission is to reduce the impact of tobacco and nicotine through community involvement in health promotion and prevention strategies. Please contact tobaccofreesonoma@gmail.com to join the Coalition!
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How You Can Help

We are currently working in Cloverdale to educate community members and decision makers to strengthen their current TRL policy. Reach out Michelle Escobar McGarry at mmcgarry@nccwb.org to get involved.
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Stay in the Know!

  • View the events calendar above and follow us on social media to stay updated on current policy efforts and community events."
  • Add social media handles for insta and fb
Our Tobacco Prevention Programs are supported by funding from the California Department of Public Health, California Tobacco Control Program.
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Quitting tobacco and vaping is one of the most powerful steps a person can take to protect their health, reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, and respiratory illness. You don’t have to do it alone—there are effective programs and supportive care available to help you succeed.

Kick It California is a FREE program that helps Californians quit tobacco and nicotine through proven, science-based strategies. Speak with a Quit Coach via phone or chat or access our self-help tools below.

Quit Smoking
Quit Vaping
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