|  | Public Health Safety | Smoking

Available Tobacco Prevention Grants for Youth Education Programs

Almost one-fourth of high school students smoke cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and 80 percent of smokers started smoking before they were 18. Approximately 443,000 United States residents die each year as a result of smoking. Smoking causes 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men and 80 percent of lung cancer deaths in women. Private foundations and the government regularly provide grants to teach students about the dangers of smoking.

  1. United States Department of Health and Human Services

    • The United States Department of Health and Human Services awards tobacco prevention grants as a part of its Community Putting Prevention to Work initiative. The grants are extended to several groups, including student programs. Through this grant program in 2009 the Department of HHS allocated $6.1 million to the Boston Public Health Commission for the purpose of decreasing student and youth exposure to cigarettes and the tobacco industry. Providence, Rhode Island was awarded a $3.3 million grant aimed at benefiting the health of Rhode Island residents. One provision of this grant was to create school-based programs aimed at decreasing smoking and to prohibit tobacco advertisers from posting within 1,000 feet of a school.

      United States Department of Health and Human Services

      200 Independence Avenue, S.W.

      Washington, D.C. 20201

      877-696-6775

      hhs.gov

    California Department of Education

    • The California Department of Education offers grants through its Tobacco-Use Prevention Education Program. Two-thirds of the funds in this program are distributed as grants to schools for the purpose of educating students on the dangers of tobacco. The Tobacco Education Research and Oversight Committee provides oversight of the funding allocations. The funds come from a 25 cent per pack tax increase on cigarette sales. The program provides grant money for tobacco-related courses for grades six through 12.

      California Department of Education

      1430 N Street

      Sacramento, CA 95814

      916-319-0193

      cde.ca.gov

    South Dakota Department of Health

    • The South Dakota Tobacco Control Program provides grants for tobacco prevention in schools and communities. The grant is designed so that community and school resources work together to educate students of the dangers of tobacco. Those seeking the grant should have plans to implement programs that will work across community and school lines. The grant is offered through the South Dakota Department of Health.

      South Dakota Department of Health

      600 East Capitol Avenue

      Platte, SD 57501

      606-773-3361

      doh.sd.gov/tobacco

Smoking - Related Articles