Tobacco Education & Prevention Program (TEPP)

Smoking is the #1 cause of preventable deaths in the United States. Over 480,000 people in the United States die each year from tobacco-related illnesses – that is more deaths than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides COMBINED!  Source: tobaccofreekids.org

Program Goals: 

  • Decrease the number of people who use tobacco including cigarettes, vaping devices, and smokeless nicotine products 
  • Develop and distribute educational resources on tobacco prevention, cessation, and policy
  • Educate decision makers and tobacco retailers on local, state, and federal tobacco laws and best practice strategies
  • Protect the public from secondhand and thirdhand smoke
  • Provide training and technical assistance to local organizations working on tobacco issues 
  • Reduce youth access to tobacco products

Services Provided

To Qualify

The Tobacco Education & Prevention Program serves all individuals and communities in Sacramento County.

Cost

Not Applicable

 

Contact Information

Sacramento County Tobacco Education & Prevention Program
9616 Micron Ave, Suite 670
Sacramento, CA  95827 | Map
Telephone: (916) 875-5869

Resources

Secondhand Smoke and Aerosols

Smoke-Free Public Housing

Effective February 3, 2017, a rule established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that all public housing be smoke-free. The new law does not include electronic smoking devices, but individual Public Housing Authorities can choose to include e-cigarettes in their smoke-free policies. See the HUD website for more information.

Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing

If you live in an apartment/condo/townhouse and have experienced trouble with drifting cigarette smoke, or ESD aerosols, please contact us at (916) 875-5869 so we can direct you to local resources that can help your complex go smoke-free! Or if you own an apartment/condo/townhouse complex, let us help you adopt a smoke-free policy for your units -- it will save you a lot of money in replacement costs when smokers move out and will cut down on tobacco complaints! See the list of Local Tobacco Policy Grades  to see if your city has a smoke-free MUH policy.

Tobacco Cessation

Do you want to quit Smoking? Vaping? Chewing Tobacco? Nicotine Pouches? Do you have a family member or friend who wants to quit?  

Call Kick it California for Free Support!

  • English:  1-800-300-8086
  •  Spanish:  1-800-600-8191
  •  Chinese:  1-800-838-8917
  •  Korean:  1-800-556-5564
  • ​ Vietnamese:  1-800-778-8440

Special Off​er: Asian language speakers and callers who live with children 5 and under may be eligible for free nicotine patches, sent directly to their homes. To see if you qualify, visit Kick it California​ for more information.   

More Resources:

For a Free Quit Kit, you can call the Sacramento County Tobacco Education & Prevention Program at (916) 875-5869 or request a Free Quit Kit online​ .

Because nicotine - a drug in cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, nicotine patches and most vaping devices - is addictive, quitting tobacco often takes more than willpower. Quitting is easier with help.      

Vaping

​Vaping involves using electronic smoking devices (ESDs), like e-cigarettes, that heat a liquid (often containing nicotine) into an aerosol that's then inhaled. Originally marketed as a safer alternative to smoking, vaping poses serious health risks, especially for children and teenagers.

The American Lung Association reports that most vapes contain nicotine, and even those labeled as “nicotine-free" may still have traces of it. Nicotine is particularly harmful to young, developing brains, which continue to grow until around age 25. Studies from the CDC show that nicotine exposure during adolescence can impair brain development, affecting areas responsible for attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. Teenagers who start vaping are also at higher risk of becoming addicted to nicotine, sometimes even before regular use begins. Additionally, early nicotine use increases the likelihood of future addiction to other substances, including cigarettes.

Besides nicotine, vaping exposes users to a variety of harmful chemicals and metals. According to the American Lung Association, when ESDsheat the liquid inside, toxic substances are released, such as:​​

  • Carcinogens : Chemicals known to cause cancer.
  • Heavy Metals : Including nickel, tin, and lead.
  • Propylene Glycol : Used in antifreeze and paint solvents.
  • Acrolein : A harmful herbicide that can lead to irreversible lung damage.
  • Diacetyl : A chemical linked to the lung disease known as "popcorn lung."
  • Benzene : A toxic compound found in car exhaust.

Youth Vaping in Sacramento County:

The 2023 California Youth Tobacco Survey reveals alarming statistics:

  • 19% of high school students have tried tobacco products.
  • 1 in 20 high students currently use tobacco.
  • 86% of those using tobacco are vaping.