Tobacco use is by far the leading preventable cause of chronic disease and early death in Dane County. Every day, at least one Dane County resident dies due to smoking, and many more become seriously ill. While the smoking rate among Dane County adults has decreased over time to about one out of five adults, smoking rates for Dane County teens, young adults, and some segments of the adult population remain much higher. In addition, thousands of Dane County children continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke, with serious health consequences.

What is the Tobacco Free Dane County Coalition?

Since 1992, the Tobacco Free Dane County Coalition has been dedicated to reducing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke in Dane County. The Coalition is an organization comprised of public and private organizations and individuals working together to create a county free from tobacco-related death and disease.

Program Component & Activities

Youth Prevention

• Collaborate with school programs to include tobacco-free policies, peer education, teacher training, parental involvement, and cessation services;
• Enforce laws that restrict tobacco sales to minors;
• Link school-based efforts with local community coalitions and statewide counter-advertising programs;
• Promote youth leadership skill development, such as media advocacy, by participation in community tobacco control activities;
• Foster a change in social norms and attitudes toward tobacco and the industry that promotes and distributes it.

Tobacco Cessation

• Provide tobacco cessation resources and referrals to residents interested in quitting;
• Develop and implement community education, outreach and awareness programs to promote the Wisconsin Quit Line and other local tobacco cessation resources.

Secondhand Smoke Education

• Promote and support smoke-free environments at all locations accessible by the public;
• Promote and support the economic and health benefits of smoke-free workplaces;
• Support community education programs that promote smoke-free home environments;
• Implement community interventions that link tobacco control interventions with cardiovascular disease and asthma prevention;
• Develop counter-marketing to increase awareness of secondhand smoke as a cause of disease and death.