In 2006, Floridians overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to fund a comprehensive evidenced-based tobacco education and use prevention program based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs. The result was the creation of the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida (BTFF).

The Tobacco Free Florida AHEC Cessation Program is founded upon the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs in the following areas:

1. Educating and Training Health Professions Students
2. Offering Continuing Education to Practicing Health Professionals
3. Providing Cessation Services for Tobacco Users

With a current annual legislative appropriation of over $13 million, the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network collaborates with the Florida Department of Health Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida to strengthen the capacity of Florida’s healthcare system to deliver effective tobacco use treatment and cessation services throughout the state. AHEC’s build partnerships with a myriad of organizations such as federally qualified health centers, hospitals, health departments, worksites, tobacco-free partnerships, academic institutions, and many other entities. This assures that AHEC staff and TFF resources are being effectively leveraged and maximally utilized to address local, regional, and statewide needs related to tobacco control.

The AHEC Network, which is comprised of five AHEC Program offices at the University of Florida, University of Miami, University of South Florida, Nova Southeastern University, and Florida State University, and their ten affiliated regional AHEC Centers have trained and/or certified Tobacco Cessation Specialists to facilitate free in-person group cessation classes within all 67 counties.

In addition to direct cessation activities the AHEC Tobacco Training and Cessation (A.T.T.A.C.) program was developed and implemented in collaboration with our community and academic partners. The A.T.T.A.C. program partners with area colleges and universities to train their health professions students on tobacco use, prevention, and cessation issues.