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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) Since North Dakota’s tobacco prevention program was put into place in 2009, the number of North Dakota school districts adopting comprehensive tobacco-free school policies has increased from 60 to 136.

This impacts 42 percent of North Dakota students, according to Jeanne Prom, executive director of the North Dakota Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy Center.

Comprehensive school policies are important because they de-normalize tobacco by sending the message that tobacco use is not socially acceptable, thus making youth less likely to start using the deadly products, said Vicki Voldal Rosenau, tobacco prevention coordinator at City-County Health District. She added, with the surge in electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among youth, it is also important for school districts update their policies to include e-cigarettes.

Voldal-Rosenau said, “We thank the proactive school boards in Barnes County that have already updated their tobacco-free school policies; this sends the important message that we want our kids to lead healthy, tobacco-free lives,” She added, “And we encourage others to amend their policies to include e-cigarettes.”

E-cigarette use is on the rise among youth, and a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that high school students who use e-cigarettes are more likely to start smoking traditional cigarettes. But parents in 136 North Dakota districts can breathe easier knowing that their schools’ tobacco-free policies are helping protect their children from the influences of tobacco.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed comprehensive tobacco-free policies as a proven method to prevent kids from using tobacco. 

To learn more about preventing tobacco use, contact CCHD at 845-8518. Visit breathend.com to see the complete list of North Dakota’s tobacco-free schools.