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9 <br />B. Need for establishing a new program or need for enhancement of <br />an existing program. <br />1. Describe the community's need for the program or program <br />expansion. <br />Currently there is no consistent cessation program for youth other than the alternative to suspension program. There are no <br />community -based prevention programs and the youth run, school -based programs such as TATU and NOT have failed due to a <br />lack of dedicated staff time. With as many as 10-17% of high school students-who smoke wanting to quit there is a definite need for <br />a program geared towards teenage smokers. In addition, we can see from the YRBS data that there is a significant jump in <br />smoking between the 8th and 10th grades in the CHCCS and the 7th and 9th grades in the OC Schools. For this reason we would <br />like to target programs to reach youth before they start to smoke in high school. YRBS data also shows an equal number of <br />students smoking marijuana and we would like to address this problem simultaneously. <br />Preliminary steps have been taken to implement a 100% tobacco free district at the request of the Orange County Board of <br />Education. We ward troth school districts in Orange County to become 100% tobacco -free to improve the enviroment in which our <br />children are learning. <br />2. Provide current demographic information about teen tobacco <br />use in your area. <br />OCS: 12% of 8th grade health students in 2001 reported they had smoked in the last 30 days; by 9th grade, 24% reported smoking <br />in the last 30 days. Furthermore, at least 17% of 9th grade health students surveyed had tried to quit smoking cigarettes within the <br />past year. Also, during the 2000 -2001 school year, 27 middle and high school students were suspended for violating the school <br />board tobacco use policy. <br />CHCCS: 3% of 8th grade health students in 2001 reported having smoked in the past 30 days; by 10th grade 20% of students <br />report having smoked in the past 30 days. 10% of the 10th graders have tried to quit smoking. Staff estimates that there are pockets <br />of students who are at greater risk for tobacco use, especially at Phoenix Academy the alternative school in Chapel Hill. <br />3. Provide information on current youth tobacco use prevention <br />activities and infrastructure in the community. <br />OCS implemented a tobacco -free policy for students in 1987 and has formed a committee or educators, students, parents, and <br />smokers to explore making OCS a 100% tobacco-fres school district. Middle school students are taught about tobacco use and Its <br />consequences from the Healthful Living Education Standard Course of Study and Project Alert. Other initiatives have included the <br />Alternative to Suspension program for students that violate OCS Tobacco Use Policy; Teens Against Tobacco Use, a peer helping <br />program between high school and elementary students; and Great American Smokeout <br />The CHCCS implemented a Student Assistance Program in the secondary schools in 1984; the CHCCS have been smoke -free <br />since 1990 and have been implementing Life Skills Training in the middle schools since 1997. <br />Students from UNC- Chapel HIP run a program called Tutoring Against Tobacco where college volunteers provide tutoring to 6th <br />grade students in CHCCS and also lessons in tobacco media literacy. <br />There are no community -based youth tobacco prevention programs in place to Orange County. <br />Page 7 <br />