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It's a New Day in Public Health.

The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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About

Please contact the Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida

What is Tobacco Free Florida? 

In November 2006, Florida’s voters overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment, Article X, Section 27, that called for reinstating a tobacco education and use prevention program. This program, Tobacco Free Florida (TFF), is a comprehensive effort to reduce tobacco use in the state. TFF is administered through the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida (BTFF), and funded by money derived from the tobacco settlement agreement with the major tobacco companies. BTFF operates with an annual budget of roughly $65 million, which is allocated by the legislature to prevent youth from starting to use tobacco and to provide tobacco cessation services, infrastructure and marketing efforts.

Vision: A Tobacco Free Florida.

Results 

From 2007 to 2010, the smoking rate for adults decreased significantly, resulting in 500,000 fewer Floridian adult smokers. The high school smoking rate has also decreased to 10.1 percent, below the national average of 17.2 percent. These decreases in smokers resulted in an estimated savings of as much as $4.2 billion in personal health care expenditures and ultimately a healthier workforce with increased productivity and fewer sick days for employees and their employers.

Who Advises Tobacco Free Florida? 

The Tobacco Education and Use Prevention Advisory Council (TAC), created by Section 381.84 (4), Florida Statues, has 21 members, meets quarterly, and provides advice in the direction and scope of BTFF's activities to the State Surgeon General.

Guiding Principles 

As mandated by Article X, Section 27, Florida Constitution, BTFF follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. This guide helps state programs plan and establish evidence-based comprehensive, sustained, and accountable tobacco control programs to prevent and reduce tobacco use through the following program component areas:

  1. State and Community Interventions
  2. Health Communication Interventions
  3. Cessation Interventions
  4. Surveillance and Evaluation
  5. Administration and Management

Florida Clean Indoor Air Act 

BTFF is responsible for enforcement of the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act (Chapter 386, F.S.) at all facilities not regulated by the Department of Business & Professional Regulation. For more information, please see Florida Clean Indoor Air Act.