Tobacco Prevention Coalition

What is the Tobacco Prevention Coalition?

The TPC is the longest running tobacco prevention coalition in the state. It began in 1984 as the Smoking Education Coalition, a collaborative effort between the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS). In 1989, following the passage of Proposition 99, the effort was renamed the Tobacco Prevention Coalition. Today, the coalition includes more than 20 community organizations and is staffed by CCHS's Tobacco Prevention Program. Since the coalition formed, the adult smoking rate in Contra Costa County has dropped 60%.

• Timeline of Tobacco Prevention Coalition Accomplishments and Milestones

What does the Coalition do?

The Coalition:

• Works to reduce youth access to tobacco;
• Looks for ways to reduce pro-tobacco advertising;
• Encourages policymakers to pass laws protecting residents from the effects of tobacco; and
• Follows the cutting-edge research on tobacco prevention to help design effective programs.

Why do we need the Coalition?

Smoking kills 440,000 Americans and 6,569 Contra Costans each year, more than alcohol, crack cocaine, heroin, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fires, and AIDS combined.

More children under the age of five die each year from second-hand smoke exposure than from poisoning, falls, choking, fire, drowning, car accidents, and other injuries combined.

Tobacco costs Contra Costa County an estimated $228.1 million a year in healthcare expenses.

The tobacco industry spends $1.2 billion a year in California to market and promote its products -- mostly to youth.

Over 35% of stores in Contra Costa's unincorporated areas sold tobacco illegally to minors in 2002.

Take back your community from the tobacco industry, join the Contra Costa Tobacco Prevention Coalition!

Video

The First 25 Years: A video documenting TPC's incredible progress since it started in 1984.

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