Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Tobacco-Free Campus Certification

As you are aware, all California public schools, county offices of education, and charter schools must prohibit the use of tobacco and nicotine products on all school district owned or leased property.

In the interest of protecting the health and brain development of California’s school-age youth, we encourage all local educational agencies (LEAs) to review current policies and regulations to ensure that use of all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), are prohibited on all school property. In the face of the vaping epidemic, it is more important than ever that our schools offer an environment that encourages healthy habits and promotes an optimal learning atmosphere. In addition to the harmful effects of nicotine, flavorings, and other chemical additives, e-cigarettes have introduced another mechanism for students to consume marijuana. Consequently, tobacco-free campus policies have the additional benefit of addressing student use of marijuana through vaping.

We would also like to remind you that in order to be eligible to apply for funding from the California Department of Education (CDE) Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Program, your district or charter school must have a tobacco-free campus policy in place by July 1 of each fiscal year. Your LEA must follow a prescribed process to be granted Tobacco-Free Campus Certification from the CDE that will permit you to apply for TUPE funding.

With a new funding opportunity planned for release in early 2020, we encourage you to obtain your LEA’s Tobacco-Free Campus Certification in the next few months.

Information on the certification process is on the CDE Tobacco-Free School District Certification web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/at/tobaccofreecert.asp.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact Francisco Michel, School Health Education Consultant, TUPE Office, by phone at 916-324-5686 or by email at fmichel@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

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2019-07665