News and Events

Gilchrist County Recognizes Annual Tobacco Free Florida Week
May 13, 2016

The week of May 8-14 marked the annual celebration of Tobacco Free Florida Week throughout the state.  Members of the Tobacco Free Partnership of Gilchrist County (TFP) worked to make sure that as many community members as possible were reached. This year’s message focused on the dangers of secondhand smoke, and the fact that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.  The Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida designed a poster campaign to highlight this message, and it was especially aimed at encouraging Floridians to not smoke around children.

The idea in Gilchrist County was to educate as many people as possible, as well as provide people with 3 Ways to Quit information during Tobacco Free Florida Week. As a result, ten locations throughout the county displayed posters (in English and Spanish), and had cessation information available. These locations included:

In addition, Bell Middle School SWAT 4-H club members held an afternoon event to educate their peers about secondhand smoke, and the Gilchrist County Chamber of Commerce connected members who wanted to participate via the weekly newsletter.

Palms Medical offices in Trenton and Bell displayed Tobacco Free Florida Week messages on their marquees and the Trenton Library displayed a banner, which means that it was virtually impossible for people to drive on Hwy 129 in Gilchrist County without noticing that it was Tobacco Free Florida Week.

The week ended with the TFP participation in the Tri-County Relay for Life.  It is estimated that between 1500-2000 community members saw the secondhand smoke messaging and had access to 3 Ways to Quit information as a result of the work of the TFP of Gilchrist and other community partners.  It is our hope that this will result in a continuation of smoke-free tobacco social norms in the community to protect the health of all people.