Tobacco-Free Coalition of Weld County
The Tobacco-Free Coalition of Weld County is a leader in effective tobacco control strategies. The coalition, which has been meeting since 1984, is comprised of interested and passionate Weld County citizens. Our focus is on educating and training community members on tobacco issues, conducting media campaigns, promoting policy development, and monitoring program effectiveness. The Tobacco-Free Coalition of Weld County is committed to preventing youth from starting tobacco use, helping people who use tobacco to quit, assisting in the reduction of and protection from second-hand smoke, and reducing tobacco use among groups that are disproportionately affected and/or at high risk.
Why does Weld County need a tobacco coalition?
- Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death. Roughly 4,300 Coloradoans die every year from tobacco-related diseases. This is more than from AIDS, car accidents, alcohol, murders, heroin, crack, cocaine, suicide, and fires combined.
- Every year more than 11,000 Colorado youth become daily tobacco users. More than 630,000 Coloradoans are regular smokers.
- Tobacco contains more than 4,000 chemicals including 60 cancer-causing agents.
Projects that the coalition has supported have included:
- Assisted with establishing indoor smoking policy at local hospital in 1991
- Assisted with placement ordinance that prohibits tobacco vending machines and requires all tobacco products to be placed behind the counter
- Assisting with ordinance to make Island Grove Arena smoke free
- Passing a smoke free ordinance in Greeley in 2003, three years before the state passed their smoke free ordinance
- Assisting the hospital in going completely smoke free in 2007
- Assisting with ordinance to disallow free giveaways of tobacco in Greeley, this included giveaways being done at the Stampede and University of Northern Colorado campus in 2007