Youth Quest is an annual event hosted by CYAN to celebrate and promote youth advocacy in tobacco control. Youth Quest provides an opportunity for youth advocates to demonstrate their commitment to a tobacco-free California, learn about current tobacco control efforts, and build their advocacy skills by sharing their local work with legislators.

This year’s Youth Quest event will be held in Sacramento at the Sheraton and West Steps of the State Capitol. Registration for this year’s event will open in January 2023. More informationa about Youth Quest is available here.

Great American Smokeout 2022

For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November.  Great American Smokeout activities provide an opportunity for individuals, college campuses, community groups, businesses, health care providers, and others to encourage people who use tobacco to use the date to make a plan to quit, or plan in advance and initiate a tobacco quit plan on the day of the event .

The Great American Smokeout is traditionally held on the third Thursday of November; however, your campus might choose to plan the event on a different day to accommodate your campus calendar. Great American Smokeout is on November 17, 2022.

Great American Smokeout Events on Campus

CYAN provides free resources to California colleges and universities interested in hosting campus events to motivate and support students and campus community members in quitting tobacco. Resources include quit kits, print educational and cesation materials, and tools to generate ideas for on-campus events and activities.

Quit Kits

Quit kits are designed to support individuals who use tobacco in quitting by providing an assortment of quit tools and resources. This year’s quit kits include items such as honey sticks, gum, hard candy, quit brochure, a pen, and a note pad for individuals to document cravings and triggers. CYAN sends campuses all supplies and campus partners can build the quit kits and add additional resources or materials, if interested.

Customizable quit kit materials are available in English, Spanish, and for Student Veterans. When registering, individuals can select which quit kits they are interested in receiving.

Educational Materials

Posters, flyers, fact cards, and other educational materials are available free of charge to help promote tobacco cessation on your campus. If you would like these additional materials for your Great American Smokeout and other events on campus, please click here. Note: You will be redirected to the cyanonline.org website for ordering.

Registration

Registration for the 2022 event is closed.

GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT EVENT TOOLKIT and fact sheet - NEW!

CYAN provides an Event Toolkit which offers event ideas, social media messaging, and resources for education, advocacy, and tobacco treatment .

SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES - NEW!

Interested in posting social messages to promote GAS and your event? We’ve created a series of social media messages designed to promote quitting tobacco. There are messages that can be used throughout this week to motivate quit attempts.  Make sure to “follow” CYAN on social media so you can re-post our messages and we can see your posts.  You can find us on Instagram at @cyanonline. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

If you would like to request educational materials to from Kick It California, formerly the California Smokers’ Helpline, visit here. Kick It California provides free support for individuals in California to quit tobacco. For more information about the helpline, please visit kickitca.org.

For more information about this event, please contact Jocelyn Rodriguez at jocelyn[at]cyanonline.org.

Great American Smokeout 2021

For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November.  Great American Smokeout activities provide an opportunity for individuals, college campuses, community groups, businesses, health care providers, and others to encourage people who use tobacco to use the date to make a plan to quit, or plan in advance and initiate a tobacco quit plan on the day of the event .

The Great American Smokeout is traditionally held on the third Thursday of November; however, your campus might choose to plan the event on a different day to accommodate your campus calendar. Great American Smokeout is on November 18, 2021.

Great American Smokeout Events on Campus

CYAN provides free resources to California colleges and universities interested in hosting campus events to motivate and support students and campus community members in quitting tobacco. Resources include quit kits, print educational and cesation materials, and tools to generate ideas for on-campus events and activities.

Quit Kits

Quit kits are designed to support individuals who use tobacco in quitting by providing an assortment of quit tools and resources. This year’s quit kits include items such as honey sticks, gum, hard candy, quit brochure, a pen, and a note pad for individuals to document cravings and triggers. CYAN sends campuses all supplies and campus partners can build the quit kits and add additional resources or materials, if interested.

Customizable quit kit materials are available in English, Spanish, and for Student Veterans. When registering, individuals can select which quit kits they are interested in receiving.

Educational Materials

Posters, flyers, fact cards, and other educational materials are available free of charge to help promote tobacco cessation on your campus. If you would like these additional materials for your Great American Smokeout and other events on campus, please click here. Note: You will be redirected to the cyanonline.org website for ordering.

Registration

Registration for this event is closed.

Great American Smokeout Virtual Event Toolkit - NEW!

CYAN provides an Event Toolkit which offers event ideas, social media messaging, and resources for education, advocacy, and tobacco treatment .

Social Media Resources - NEW!

Interested in posting social messages to promote GAS and your event? We’ve created a series of social media messages designed to promote quitting tobacco. There are messages that can be used throughout this week to motivate quit attempts.  Make sure to “follow” CYAN on social media so you can re-post our messages and we can see your posts.  You can find us on Instagram at @cyanonline. 

Additional Resources

If you would like to request educational materials to from Kick It California, formerly the California Smokers’ Helpline, visit here. Kick It California provides free support for individuals in California to quit tobacco. For more information about the helpline, please visit kickitca.org.

For more information about this event, please contact Krandalyn Goodman at Krandalyn[at]cyanonline.org.

Smoke/Tobacco-Free Earth Day Events

ABOUT THE EVENT

Each year, CYAN supports local and campus-based activities hosted on or around Earth Day to increase awareness of the devastating impact commercial tobacco has on the environment. Similar to the 2020 event, the 2021 event will be mostly virtual as many colleges and universities remain closed to in-person learning due to COVID-19.

CYAN offers free support and resources to any college campus that would like to host an event and raise awareness on their campus. By registering with CYAN for Earth Day, campuses will receive: free tote bags to give to students on campus (if interested), Event Toolkit with event ideas and forms, educational materials, and social media resources.

This year’s theme is “Protect Our Planet: The Earth is Not Disposable” which focuses on educating youth, young adults, and campus communities on the impact of disposable vaping devices and single-use plastic products (e.g., pods) on the environment.

REGISTRATION

Registration for this event is closed.

LEARN MORE

Get educated on how commercial tobacco impacts the environment.

• Read these Vape Waste and the Environment Key Messages

• Read this fact sheet on The Burden of Tobacco on the Environment - Single-use Plastics and Disposable Vapes.

• View the videos below to learn more about the various ways commercial tobacco harms the environment and the effects of nicotine vape waste on the environment.

PLEDGE TO BE TOBACCO-FREE

Commit to supporting a healthier planet by living tobacco-free. Use this pledge template on Instagram to share what you will do on Earth Day instead of using tobacco. Instructions on how to use the pledge template can be found here.

SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Use your social media pages to share information about tobacco’s impact on the environment. Consider sharing the The Earth is Not Disposable: Nicotine Vape Waste video, posting one (or more!) of the messages below, or use the Key Messages resource to create a new post. Need help with posting messages? Contact info@cyanonline.org or follow @cyanonline on Instagram for more information.

ENCOURAGE QUIT ATTEMPTS

Support friends and families in quitting tobacco. Quit tips and resources for youth and young adults are available at cyanonline.org/quit-tobacco. All Californians can get help quitting at www.nobutts.org or www.novapes.org.

CLEAN UP YOUR COMMUNITY

Walk around your neighborhood and community (practicing proper social distancing) and clean up tobacco waste. Make sure to wear gloves and bring an air-tight container to hold the waste. Take note of the types of products you are picking up and where, for example, near a park or school. Share your findings with with coalition members, community leaders, and the media.

EDUCATE DECISION MAKERS

Reach out to local decision makers, state legislators, and campus administrators and educate them on how tobacco use impacts your local communities. Working on a smoke/tobacco-free policy? Utilize information about tobacco’s impact on the environment to further encourage smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption and to create a plan to reopen smoke/tobacco-free.

Event Resources for College and University Campuses

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, CYAN has updated the following resources to accomodate events on campuses that are closed to in-person learning or may have hybrid operations with limited students and staff on campus. While the following resources include ideas specific to colleges and universities, activities can be modified for community use.

We encourage all campuses to host Cigarette Butt Pickup Events in the weeks leading up to Earth Day.  Collected butts can be displayed in a clear, smell-proof container at your event.  If you've collected and saved butts over the years, your display can show your campus community the progress that you've made over the years.  If this is your first time collecting butts, your display will show your campus that there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

CYAN CIGARETTE BUTT PICKUP EVENT PROTOCOL 

By using CYAN's Cigarette Butt Pickup Event Protocol each year, you will be able to accurately compare your results year after year.  

Throughout February 2021, the California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN) will be hosting a virtual workshop series to support smoke/tobacco-free interventions on college and university campuses. Each of the three days of the Smoke/Tobacco-Free College and University Workshop Series will feature a different aspect of smoke/tobacco-free college work and include a general session and two sets of breakout sessions. More information about the full workshop series is a available here.

FEBRUARY 26, 2021
9:00AM – 12:00PM

Implementation and Compliance of Smoke and Tobacco-Free College Policy will focus on implementing new smoke and tobacco-free policies on campuses as well as strengthening compliance of existing policies. This session will include breakouts on preparing colleges for re-opening as smoke/tobacco-free policies as well as using this time to create a plan for improving compliance when students return to campus.

REGISTRATION

This event is free of charge. Individuals interested in attending can register for one, two, or all three workshops within this series. The event is designed for individuals, organizations, student advocates, and college and university representatives working on smoke/tobacco-free campus interventions.

AGENDA

QUESTIONS

If you have additional questions about this event, please contact Alex Byrd at alex@cyanonline.org.

Throughout February 2021, the California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN) will be hosting a virtual workshop series to support smoke/tobacco-free interventions on college and university campuses. Each of the three days of the Smoke/Tobacco-Free College and University Workshop Series will feature a different aspect of smoke/tobacco-free college work and include a general session and two sets of breakout sessions. More information about the full workshop series is a available here.

FEBRUARY 19, 2021
9:00AM – 12:00PM

Advocating for Smoke and Tobacco-Free College Policy will focus on advocating for new smoke and tobacco-free policy adopting on community college, private college, and trade and tech campuses, with conversations on continuing advocacy efforts during the pandemic to encourage policy adoption before the reopening of on-campus learning.

REGISTRATION

This event is free of charge. Individuals interested in attending can register for one, two, or all three workshops within this series. The event is designed for individuals, organizations, student advocates, and college and university representatives working on smoke/tobacco-free campus interventions.

AGENDA

QUESTIONS

If you have additional questions about this event, please contact Alex Byrd at alex@cyanonline.org.

Throughout February 2021, the California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN) will be hosting a virtual workshop series to support smoke/tobacco-free interventions on college and university campuses. Each of the three days of the Smoke/Tobacco-Free College and University Workshop Series will feature a different aspect of smoke/tobacco-free college work and include a general session and two sets of breakout sessions. More information about the full workshop series is a available here.

FEBRUARY 12, 2021
9:00AM – 12:00PM

Supporting Students and Campus Communities in Quitting Tobacco and Nicotine will focus on supporting students, staff, and faculty in quitting nicotine and tobacco through new and innovative tobacco treatments strategies, including providing tobacco treatment support during the pandemic and distance learning.

* Health Services Association - California Community Colleges (HSACCC) is providing 3 CEUs for RNs attending this session.

REGISTRATION

Registration for this event is closed. If you are interested in receiving links to the recordings from this session, please contact info@cyanonline.org.

If you are registered for this event and did not receive the link to all the live sessions, please contact kim@cyanonline.org.

AGENDA

QUESTIONS

If you have additional questions about this event, please contact Alex Byrd at alex@cyanonline.org.

For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November.  The Great American Smokeout supports tobacco users in committing to healthy, tobacco-free lives – not just for a day, but year round. Great American Smokeout activities provide an opportunity for individuals, college campuses, community groups, businesses, health care providers, and others to encourage people to use the date to make a plan to quit, or plan in advance and initiate a tobacco quit plan on the day of the event . Great American Smokeout also challenges people to stop using tobacco and helps people learn about the many tools they can use to help them quit and stay quit.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and transition from in-person to virtual learning and events, CYAN will be creating materials for social media and provide ideas for virtual activities hosted by or in partnership with colleges and universities.

The Great American Smokeout is traditionally held on the third Thursday of November; however, your campus might choose to plan the event on a different day to accommodate your campus calendar. Great American Smokeout is on November 19, 2020.

GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT WEBINAR

October 29, 2020
1:00pm - 2:00pm

Webinar Recording

This webinar featured innovative ideas for virtual Great American Smokeout events as well as a facilitated discussion and sharing of ideas between participants. The webinar also included a look at CYAN’s new tobacco treatment social media campaign aimed at motivating quit attempts among youth and young adults.

Resources to Take Action Locally

LEARN MORE

Get educated on how tobacco impacts the environment.

• Read these Tobacco and the Environment Key Messages

• View the video below to learn more about the various ways tobacco harms the environment

PLEDGE TO BE TOBACCO-FREE

Commit to supporting a healthier planet by living tobacco-free. Use this pledge template on Instagram to share what you will do on Earth Day instead of using tobacco. Instructions on how to use the pledge template can be found here.

SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Use your social media pages to share information about tobacco’s impact on the environment. Consider sharing the Tobacco and the Environment video, posting one (or more!) of the messages below, or use the Key Messages resource to create a new post. Need help with posting messages? Want the messages customized for local use? Contact info@cyanonline.org and the CYAN team can help.

ENCOURAGE QUIT ATTEMPTS

Support friends and families in quitting tobacco. Quit tips and resources for youth and young adults are available at cyanonline.org/quit-tobacco. All Californians can get help quitting at www.nobutts.org or www.novapes.org.

CLEAN UP YOUR COMMUNITY

Walk around your neighborhood and community (practicing proper social distancing) and clean up tobacco waste. Make sure to wear gloves and bring an air-tight container to hold the waste. Take note of the types of products you are picking up and where, for example, near a park or school. Share your findings with with coalition members, community leaders, and the media.

EDUCATE DECISION MAKERS

Reach out to local decision makers, state legislators, and campus administrators and educate them on how tobacco use impacts your local communities. Working on a smoke/tobacco-free policy? Utilize information about tobacco’s impact on the environment to further encourage smoke/tobacco-free policy adoption.

Resources College Campus Events

Due to California’s current shelter-in-place orders, CYAN is unable to send college and university campuses free tote bags for the 2020 Earth Day event. Please use the following resources to learn more about tobacco’s impact on the environment and modify recommended activities to educate campus community members on benefits of smoke/tobacco-free policies.

We encourage all campuses to host Cigarette Butt Pickup Events in the weeks leading up to Earth Day.  Collected butts can be displayed in a clear, smell-proof container at your event.  If you've collected and saved butts over the years, your display can show your campus community the progress that you've made over the years.  If this is your first time collecting butts, your display will show your campus that there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

CYAN CIGARETTE BUTT PICKUP EVENT PROTOCOL 

By using CYAN's Cigarette Butt Pickup Event Protocol each year, you will be able to accurately compare your results year after year.  

Youth Quest is an annual event hosted by CYAN to celebrate and promote youth advocacy in tobacco control. Youth Quest provides an opportunity for youth advocates to demonstrate their commitment to a tobacco-free California, learn about current tobacco control efforts, and build their advocacy skills by sharing their local work with legislators.

Details for the 2020 event will be available in late 2019.

EVENT REGISTRATION

Registration for Veterans Day can be accessed at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3Y7J8D9 . The deadline to register by is October 19, 2018.