The Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) was awarded a $362,812 grant by the California Department of Education to fund the Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Program.
 
The grant will extend tobacco prevention services to Berkeley and Castro Valley Unified School Districts and will serve middle and high school students. The program currently serves secondary students in Dublin, Livermore, Newark, San Leandro, and San Lorenzo with prevention and intervention services as well as smoking cessation.  Grant funds will supplement existing professional development and technical assistance provided by ACOE to reduce the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs among Alameda County youth.   
 
“The average age that an adult smoker begins using tobacco is 13 years old, and 90% of adult smokers pick up a cigarette before age 18.  Providing tobacco prevention and cessation services in middle and high schools allows us to intervene during a critical window.  We are pleased that we are able to provide this critical support for our students at a time when so many crucial funds for programs like service learning, civic engagement, and gang prevention are diminishing and disappearing.” said Sheila Jordan, Superintendent of Alameda County Schools.
 
The Alameda County Office of Education is committed to assisting youth and ensuring that they receive a safe, well-rounded education. For more information about the TUPE program, please call Janine Saunders at (510) 670-4589 or e-mail jsaunders@acoe.org.
 
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