Tobacco Free for Life

Description

Tobacco Free for Life (TFL) is a grass roots volunteer coalition of educators, health care professionals, survivors and victims of tobacco-related illness, and concerned individuals. Our mission is to prevent and reduce underage tobacco use through education, awareness and community efforts on a "cost free" basis to the youth and community of Henderson County. TFL started in 1996 by Dr. Ken Shelton of Hendersonville Radiological Consultants and is currently operating out of an office on the Pardee Hospital campus. Pardee Hospital Foundation acts as TFL's fiscal agent and provides TFL with 501c3 nonprofit status. In additional to Pardee Hospital and the Pardee Foundation, TFL has created strong community partnerships with Henderson County Public Schools, Henderson County Department of Public Health, Partnership for Health, Hendersonville Family Practice Residency Program, Henderson County Medical Society, the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association. Prevention is the primary focus of TFL. TFL programs strive to prevent children from ever starting to use tobacco. To accomplish this, TFL provides a "tobacco free" message to Henderson County students using curriculum enhancement, presentations, contests, assemblies, school health fairs and educational materials. In addition to the actual classroom interactions, TFL has developed a variety of media strategies to promote a tobacco free message. Thousands of book covers, pencils, water bottles and T-shirts are distributed to Henderson County youth each school year along with banners, signs, patches and bumper stickers. By combining these activities and these items the ultimate goal is to reduce the percentage of school children that start using tobacco. In addition, TFL works hard to raise community awareness of the dangers of tobacco use and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), also known as second hand smoke. Finally, TFL offers smoking cessation information and classes for both adolescents and adults in the community that are trying to quit their tobacco habit. TFL strongly supports tobacco-free restaurants, public areas and work sites.