CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COUNTY'S NEW SMOKE-FREE ORDINANCE.
The goal is for all people in Ventura County to live tobacco-free!
Ventura County Public Health's Tobacco Programs support tobacco-free living for all Ventura County residents. Tobacco-free living means avoiding the use of all types of tobacco products - such as cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco and hookahs,e-cigarettes - and also living free from secondhand smoke exposure.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of premature and preventable death in the United States. Living tobacco free lowers a person’s risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease, as well as other diseases and causes of death.
The Healthy People 2020 target is to reduce the proportion of adolescents that have smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days to 16.0%. While this target is being met for 7th, 9th, and 11th graders within Ventura County, we know that certain school districts have a higher prevalence of smoking among students.
Tobacco Education & Prevention
The two main goals of Ventura County Public Health's Tobacco Education Program are to:
- Help Ventura County adults who currently smoke to quit smoking!
- Prevent young people from initiating tobacco use in the first place!
FREE "Call it Quits" Classes
To sign-up, call: (805) 201-STOP or
Email: Callitquits@ventura.org
Bus of Tobacco Horrors
To inquire about the Bus of Tobacco Horrors coming to your 6th grade class or community event,
Contact: Letty Alvarez, (805) 981-6667
Rigo Vargas, Public Health Director, poses next to the Bus of Tobacco Horrors. The Bus of Tobacco Horrors is a one-of-a-kind educational tool designed to educate Ventura County teens about the dangers of tobacco use and prevent them from trying tobacco and becoming hooked!
Prop 99/56 and Tobacco Policy
Public Health is dedicated to protecting Ventura County residents from secondhand smoke. The VCPH Tobacco Coalition is a group of community leaders who advocate for stricter smoke-free policies in residential, business, educational and community settings.
About the Program
The goal of the Prop 99 Tobacco Program is to protect people from secondhand smoke in public settings - such as parks, recreation areas, work sites, schools, multi-unit housing, etc.
Smoking prevalence differs by socioeconomic status. Individuals with lower incomes, less education, and those who receive public insurance are more likely to be smokers.
According to the World Health Organization, half of the people who smoke today will eventually succumb to some kind of tobacco- related illness.
Tobacco Coalition
Contact Us
Ventura County Public Health
Prop 99 Tobacco Program Vicky Gonzales,