Initiatives
Smoke Free St. Joe is supported by the Indiana State Department of Health – Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Commission.
Four Priority Areas Encompass Our Work
Decrease Youth Tobacco Use Rates
Middle and High School Comprehensive Strategy
Smoke Free St. Joe educates middle and high school communities about tobacco issues and cessation services through messaging (articles, fact sheets**, Vape-Free Indiana**, etc.), school staff training, and information sessions with parent groups. . We also advocate for **non-punitive consequences for youth caught with tobacco products.
Youth Empowerment – VOICE
Smoke Free St. Joe recruits a dedicated team of young leaders to spearhead VOICE**-branded initiatives in their community. This core team focuses on youth empowerment and engagement, educating their peers about tobacco-related issues to foster community activism and drive positive change.
Point of Sale Marketing
Provides education for both youth and adults on how tobacco products are priced and marketed to target teenagers, as well as the impact of tobacco promotion at the point of sale. Additionally, SFSJ participates in the Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings (STARS**) survey to collect county-level data on tobacco products and point-of-sale advertising in retail establishments.
Decrease Secondhand Smoke
Smoke-Free Communities
Smoke Free St. Joe works and advocates for comprehensive smokefree air ordinance to protect all workplaces from deadly second and thirdhand smoke
Smoke-Free, Multi-Unit Housing
Smoke Free St. Joe works and advocates for comprehensive smoke-free policies in multi-unit housing, including public housing and market-rate multi-resident buildings. More information can be found at Smoke-Free Housing
Decrease Adult Tobacco Use Rates
Help with Quitting
Smoke Free St. Joe conducts outreach with healthcare providers and other organizations to increase referrals to Quit Now Indiana. For more resources, go to the Quit Smoking Services page
Maintain Infrastructure
Coalition
Smoke Free St. Joe engages in local and statewide coalitions, continually developing and recruiting members with a focus on reaching out to organizations that serve St. Joseph County
Tobacco-Free Families
Smoke Free St. Joe trains staff at Head Start Centers, and alternative family settings on the education program Breathe: Healthy Steps to Living Tobacco Free