[CDE] – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced more resources going to California school districts working to enforce tobacco-free school policies and to collect data regarding the prevalence of tobacco use and other health risk behaviors among their students.

Thirty school districts and county education offices will share $410,826 in Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) funding for grades 6-12. The Los Angeles County Office of Education will receive $40,500.

“Schools can help our kids learn to avoid dangerous behaviors—including tobacco use — early,” said Torlakson. “Part of my goal when I started my Team California for Healthy Kids initiative was to get kids active and healthy because this will help them learn and become more successful later in life.”

Torlakson’s started his Team California for Healthy Kids initiative last year to promote healthy eating and physical activity among students every day. Research confirms there is a clear connection between good health and academic success. Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also, teens who smoke often experience secondary behavioral issues such as violence, drug and alcohol use, and high-risk sexual behavior—all of which can negatively affect a child’s education, research shows.

TUPE is a three-year, $16.5 million competitive state grant designed to teach youth in grades six through twelve about how to prevent and reduce the use of tobacco. The $410,826 announced today is the first phase of funding for new applicants. The program enables students to attend school, free from the health risks associated with tobacco use and second-hand smoke. The TUPE program also encourages schools to work with the community and parents so students will be aware that everyone is involved in their success in school.

The 30 winners were selected because they had demonstrated the highest levels of involvement and commitment in their tobacco-use prevention efforts, and proposed programs that will likely be effective.