The Tobacco Prevention and Control (TPC) Program of Snohomish Health District mission is: To provide information,
education, resources, policy and technical support to Snohomish County communities and partners in order to build
capacity change regarding tobacco use and exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.
This mission includes all forms
of smoked and smokeless tobacco cessation, exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, and youth prevention. Snohomish
Health District is mandated to enforce the Smoking in Public Places Law (RCW 70.160 revised Clean Indoor Air Act)
in partnership with city/county government and local law enforcement. The Health District also monitors and
enforces youth retail tobacco sales laws in partnership with the WA State Liquor Control Board.
Hookah a Dangerous Trend
Hookah tobacco smoking is a rising trend among young smokers throughout the United States. The Snohomish Health District is charged with enforcing the state Smoking in Public Places law (RCW 70.160), which was approved by voters in 2005. All places that are open to the public or that have employees are prohibited from allowing smoking of any kind. Hookah smoke is just as harmful as cigarette smoke, full of toxins known to cause lung disease, cancer, and heart disease.
In February 2013, the Snohomish County Superior Court ruled that an Everett hookah lounge had intentionally and repeatedly violated the law.
I want to quit smoking! How can I be successful?
Call the Washington State TOBACCO QUIT LINE at 1.800.QUITNOW
The Tobacco Quit Line is free, available to anyone who needs it, and most importantly, it works.
The Quit Line provides each caller with individual support, including advice on creating a
customized plan. Some callers may qualify for free nicotine patches or gum.
Quit Line Information
Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing
Quit Line website
Tobacco use continues to be the nation's number one cause of preventable death, killing more people
every year than AIDS, alcohol, drugs, murders, suicides, car crashes, and fires combined. Of all
Americans who smoke regularly, 70 percent (men, women, and children) want to quit.
Policy Change and Adult Cessation:
Children learn how to behave by example. When policies are in place restricting smoking in public
places such as restaurants, malls, parks and playgrounds, tobacco use becomes the perceived
exception rather than the rule in adult behavior. Children observe and mimic the behavior of
adults around them from a very young age.
One of the most significant factors influencing whether a child will experiment with and become
addicted to tobacco is whether or not a parent or caretaker in the home smokes. By helping adults
to quit tobacco, it helps to prevent children and youth from becoming tobacco users.
Other Tobacco Cessation Resources:
Public Health Sites:
I want to know more about youth and smoking or chewing tobacco
Youth Tobacco Prevention
Tobacco use, the nation’s number one cause of preventable death, can be considered a childhood-onset
disease. One-half of all teens who smoke start by the age of 14 and 10% start between the ages of 9
and 10. Over 90% of people who smoke started prior to age 18.
Sub-sections of our culture continue to support the view that tobacco use is cool, sophisticated and
an acceptable way to rebel. Mainstream media often supports tobacco use as a cultural norm by portraying
smoking and tobacco use in film and on the internet.
Forty five children in the state of Washington start using tobacco every day, and one-third of them will
eventually die from it. The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program staff at Snohomish Health District
works to prevent youth tobacco initiation in the following ways:
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program staff work with state and local partners to educate
businesses which hold a tobacco retail license. This effort is done during compliance checks
as well as through mailings, media campaigns, and one-on-one educational sessions with management
of local tobacco retail establishments.
Other resources for youth prevention:
Ending Nicotine Dependence (E.N.D.)
END is an eight-module tobacco cessation and reduction curriculum specifically designed for youth. The Utah Department of Health, Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program designed this curriculum
Teens Against Tobacco Use (T.A.T.U.)
TATU is a peer education program provided by the American Lung Association of Washington (ALAW). Middle and high school students are trained in media literacy, tobacco and health advocacy, and presentation skills, enabling them to discuss issues with their peers and younger students
For and about Youth:
Get The Facts:
Young Adults & Minority Population:
How do I report a violation of the Smoking in Public Places Law?
Enforcement of Washington's Smoking in Public Places Law (RCW 70.160)
The Health District’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program is the enforcement agent
in Snohomish County for implementing Washington's Smoking in Public Places Law. In
November 2005, Washington voters passed Initiative 901 by 63%, passing in every county
This comprehensive measure to protect workers and the public from the devastating
health effects of secondhand smoke went into effect on December 8, 2005, and applies
to ALL Washington workplaces (including bars, taverns, restaurants, bowling alleys and
truck stops) and public spaces. In addition, smoking is prohibited within 25 feet of
all doorways, entryways, windows that open, and ventilation intakes of public places
Report Violation of RCW 70.160:
How to report to the Snohomish Health District:
- Download and fill out this form:
Violation of RCW 70.160 Form
- Attach the completed form and email it to firstname.lastname@example.org
OR fax the completed form to 425.339.8726
OR mail the completed form to:
Snohomish Health District
Tobacco Prevention and Control
3020 Rucker Avenue, Suite 206
Everett, WA 98201-3900
OR call the Snohomish County Tobacco Resource Line 425.339.5237 and leave us a message.
Additional Information for RCW 70.160:
How do I apply to reduce the allowed distance of smoking from doors at my business?
Rebuttal procedure of the 25 foot rule (RCW 70.160)
The law allows for businesses to rebut the assumption that it is necessary to prohibit smoking
within 25 feet of entrances, exits, windows that open, and ventilation intakes for your
establishment. In order to do so, the business must meet established criteria including
verifiable evidence that smoke will not enter the establishment if the distance is reduced.
Please follow the Rebuttal Procedure below.
- Review the Criteria Sheet (part of the Rebuttal Application Form) to ensure that you
meet the minimum qualifications
- Download and fill out the
Rebuttal Application Form
- Print and enclose the application form, completely filled out and including supporting
documentation, along with your check for $105 made out to 'Snohomish Health District'. Mail to:
Snohomish Health District
Tobacco Prevention and Control
3020 Rucker Avenue, Suite 206
Everett, WA 98201-3900
What can I do about the secondhand cigarette smoke I am breathing?
Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Information and Resources
Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHTS) is a mix of smoke coming from the end of a burning tobacco product and
smoke exhaled by smokers. This complex mixture has more than 4,000 chemicals, 50 of which are known to
be probable carcinogens (human cancer-causing agents).
In 2005, the California Air Resources Board identified Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a toxic
air contaminant for which there is no safe level of exposure. People exposed to secondhand
tobacco smoke are more likely to develop a host of preventable diseases including lung cancer,
coronary heart disease, and breast cancer, especially in younger, primarily premenopausal
women. The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program staff at the Health District works to reduce
or eliminate exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke from indoor and outdoor public places in
the following ways:
Choosing Smoke-Free Housing:
Washington residents are protected from secondhand tobacco smoke in all workplaces and public places,
but many people who live in rental or condo multi-unit housing are distressed to come home to
find they are breathing uninvited secondhand smoke in their own homes.
There are things that you can do. Click
to download the “Choose Smoke-free Housing” pages or
to download the booklet in booklet form. This will be a starting place for ideas of
how to make your home smoke-free. Everyone should be able to breathe smoke-free air where they work and live!
The tobacco-free parks project began in 2001 as a joint effort between local communities and
Snohomish Health District. Fourteen communities in Snohomish County, as well as Snohomish
County Parks and Recreation have adopted resolutions declaring their park facilities to be
"tobacco-free for our kids." The campaign educates community members about the harmful
effects of secondhand tobacco smoke and provides a healthier outdoor environment. When kids
see a park free of tobacco use, they are more likely to recognize this as the norm.
For further information about how to implement tobacco-free parks in your community, call
425.339.5279 or send an e-mail to email@example.com
Our goal is to create public policy change in order to reduce and/or eliminate exposure
to secondhand tobacco smoke. The Tobacco Prevention and Control Program educates policy
makers and elected officials about the science behind secondhand tobacco smoke.
A past campaign for veterinarians and pet groomers provided information about the dangers
of secondhand tobacco smoke to pets as well as people.
Other resources about secondhand tobacco smoke:
How can I partner with the SHD Tobacco Prevention Program?
Community Collaboration, Mobilization and Engagement
In Snohomish County, the Health District works with many medical providers, social service
agencies and education partners to focus on priority populations such as people living in poverty,
minority groups, people with mental health or chemical dependency issues, and others with known
rates of high tobacco use (compared to the general population).
The goal is to ensure that providers, particularly those working with these priority populations,
have the tools and capacity to best help those clients or patients ready to quit tobacco. We work
to raise awareness of local tobacco prevention and cessation efforts and to build sustainable change
at the local level. This is done by providing outreach and training to community leaders and policy-makers,
promoting technical assistance and information regarding best practices and policy change to community
organizations and businesses, and providing educational information to the public via local news sources
and on this website. We promote public discussion among partners, decision makers, and stakeholders about
tobacco-related health outcomes and the burden of resulting chronic disease on our community. The Tobacco
Prevention and Control Program welcomes the input and involvement of community members and organizations.
Trained adult volunteers are needed to assist with educating retailers about tobacco sales laws to minors.
Teams of volunteers may focus on one or more communities providing resource packets to businesses licensed
to sell tobacco products. Having friendly community volunteers stop by with information reminding businesses
about minor sales laws is one effective strategy in helping to reduce access of tobacco to children under
18 years old.
For more information, please call 425.339.8631.