Terry Thompson
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Since 1997,  America On Track has been taking a leading role in Orange County
to successfully implement tobacco & vape use prevention programs.

Our  projects are designed to change social norms
regarding tobacco use and vaping, lower youth access to tobacco,
and reduce residents’ exposure to secondhand smoke through direct services and policy work.

These ongoing initiatives are having a positive impact in our communities.

How the Tobacco Industry Negatively Impacts Our Economy

You Pay, Whether You Smoke or Not –

We all know how costly smoking is to the smoker. But what about the cost to businesses and our health care system? Businesses lose money due to smokers missing work more frequently for illness than other workers; they may also pay more for employee health care insurance to cover smokers. Direct health care costs attributed to tobacco use in California are $13.29 billion annually and in one year, smoking-caused productivity losses in California were estimated to be $10.35 billion.

Photo & Quote from the CA Department of Public Health

America On Track plays an important role in addressing these issues in Orange County by incorporating policy and system change-focused goals with intentional collaboration and community engagement strategies.

A rapid public health response which mitigates negative persistent factors is needed to disrupt tobacco use rates in certain groups, to reach communities and jurisdictions which are still currently underserved in tobacco control, and to prevent the next generation of youth from a lifelong addiction to nicotine.

America On Track is implementing two comprehensive tobacco prevention projects aimed at Lowering Youth Access to Tobacco and Reducing Exposure to Secondhand Smoke.

Tobacco control programs not only reduce smoking, but also reduce costs. In the past 20 years, California has saved $86 billion in healthcare costs due to fewer Californians using tobacco. But there is still a lot of work to do.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, cigarette smoking in the United States is responsible for 1,300 deaths every day.

The proliferation of tobacco product categories, persistent disparities in product availability and promotion, new challenges in the intersection of electronic smoking devices and marijuana, an emerging realization of the environmental impact of tobacco, and stagnant cessation rates are persistent and dynamic challenges in California tobacco control.