Virginia Figures Updated from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Visit the link below to view the latest figures as provided by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
www.vtsf.org/data/index.asp

Also, you can visit their webs site for information from around the country.
www.tobaccofreekids.org

Foundation of Prevention

Foundations of Prevention is an online course offered by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention that covers the basic core knowledge of substance abuse prevention, providing information on prevention principles, approaches, strategies, as well as guidance for planning effective programs and measuring results. The course consists of eight instructional units. It may be taken for FREE or continuing education credits are available through the University of Maryland College Park for $25. To access this course:

Go to www.samhsa.gov

*Click on Center for Substance Abuse Prevention [CSAP] (right column)
*Click on Prevention Platform (left column)
*Register as a user to utilize the tools
*Click on Training at the top of the page
*Click on featured Resources
*Click on CSAP’s Foundations of Prevention On-Line Course
*Follow the prompts to register to take this specific course

Kick Butts Day - April 2nd

Many of you have events and activities planned for Kick Butts Day on April 2nd but if not, it's not too late to plan. Check out http://www.kickbuttsday.org/ for tons of resources.

Kick Butts Day is an annual national celebration of youth tobacco-use prevention efforts and activities sponsored by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

This would be a great way to reward your program participants and get them involved as tobacco use prevention activists!

Gov. Kaine Announces Restaurant Smoking Ban Legislation

You can visit the Governor's web site and click on News Releases. Or you can go directly to the release.

Governor Kaine Web Site
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/

News Release from Governor Kaine
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/MediaRelations/NewsReleases/viewRelease.cfm?id=579

Virginians for a Healthy Future Coalition

The BLOG address shown below is from the American Lung Association. This site provides valuable information on smoke-free issues, news in Virginia, and particularly this General Assembly session.

http://blog.smokefreevanow.org/

VTSF Overview Video

Please take a few minutes to view the new VTSF Video by clicking on the link below. This video provides a wonderful overview of the Foundation and all that we do.

Feel free to share this BLOG site with any organization that you think may have an interest.

http://www.vtsf.org/index.asp

Smoking Bans and Cigarette Tax Increases

It's a New Year and Smoking Bans and Cigarette Tax Increases are going into effect all over the country!

Illinois: Statewide ban goes into effect Jan. 1.
Colorado: Statewide ban extends to casinos Jan. 1.
Kansas: Kansas City suburbs' smoking bans go into effect Jan. 1 & 2, pressuring Kansas City itself.
Maryland: Baltimore smoking ban goes into effect. Jan. 1.
Texas: McKinney, Sugar Land and Fort Worth restaurant smoking bans go into effect Jan. 1.
California: Smoking ban in cars with kids goes into effect Jan. 1.
Wisconsin: $1/pack cigarette tax hike goes into effect. Jan. 1, raising tax to $1.77.
Maryland: $1/pack cigarette tax hike goes into effect. Jan. 1, raising tax to $2.