Youth Tobacco Cessation
Southeastern Idaho Public Health’s Youth Tobacco Cessation program helps students quit tobacco use through education, support, and evidence-based programs designed to promote healthier choices and long-term well-being.
What does this program do?
- Delivers INDEPTH, a 4-week alternative-to-suspension program for students who violate tobacco policy, with sessions held during school lunch or at community centers in the evening
- Facilitates NOT (Not On Tobacco), a 7–10 session program for youth committed to quitting but needing additional support, with each session lasting about one hour
- Provides education on tobacco, vaping risks, and nicotine addiction
- Connects youth to cessation resources and ongoing support
How does this program benefit individuals and communities?
- Offers constructive alternatives to punishment through INDEPTH, helping keep students engaged in school
- Helps motivated youth quit tobacco through structured, evidence-based support programs like NOT
- Reduces nicotine addiction and long-term health risks
- Builds healthier schools and communities by promoting prevention and cessation
What is most important for people to understand?
- INDEPTH and NOT are proven, evidence-based programs tailored specifically for youth
- INDEPTH focuses on education and behavior change instead of suspension
- NOT provides intensive support for youth who are ready to quit
- These programs are accessible, flexible, and confidential
What would happen without this program?
- Students would face punitive measures instead of education and support
- Youth struggling to quit would lack structured, evidence-based help
- Higher rates of nicotine addiction and related chronic diseases
- Increased strain on schools, families, and healthcare systems