Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE)

Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) is a comprehensive evidence-based tobacco-use prevention, youth development, intervention, and cessation program. The purpose of the TUPE program is to reduce youth tobacco-use by helping students make healthy decisions through tobacco-specific educational instruction and activities that build knowledge as well as social skills and youth development assets. TUPE funding originates from tobacco tax revenue and provides prevention programs in grades six through twelve. Through TUPE, districts and school staff/administrators receive training and technical assistance in the following capacities:

• Tobacco-free schools certification

• Annual county-wide TUPE Site Coordinator training

• California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) administration and data sharing training

• Alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) curriculum trainings for teachers

• Grant writing support

• Quarterly district and community partner networking meetings

• Current research on adolescent ATOD use, as well as effective prevention and intervention strategies

TUPE Tiers of Support

TUPE offers a tiered systems of support to ensure students throughout Santa Clara County, receive the appropriate level of intervention needed to prevent substance-use. TUPE interventions are identified based on student risk behavioral data obtained through the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). 

TUPE Tier I offers universal prevention strategies on campus that include:

• Certification and enforcement of tobacco-free campus
  

• Monitoring of youth risk behaviors and resilience data through the administration of the California Healthy Kids Survey biannually for grades 7th, 9th, and 11th (CHKS Survey) 
  

TUPE Tier II is a comprehensive Tobacco-Use Prevention Education program built upon a foundation of county-wide collaboration with schools, community-based agencies and partners focused on health and effective tobacco use prevention. Tier II provides students in grades 6-12 with the knowledge and skills needed to be tobacco-free and focuses on the development of Santa Clara County’s next generation of tobacco-free advocates who represent a diverse cross section of our priority populations.

TUPE Tier II offers prevention and interventions strategies that include:

• Monitoring of youth risk behaviors and resilience data through the administration of the California Healthy Kids Survey biannually for grades 7th, 9th, and 11th 
  

• Implementing classroom-based, research-validated substance use prevention programs
  

• Providing cessation activities and/or referrals to resources

• Providing intervention for those most at risk

• Empowering youth through tobacco-focused youth development

• Maintaining and enforcing tobacco-free policy

Current Tier II participating school districts include Campbell Union, Sunnyvale Elementary, East Side Union High School, Santa Clara County Office of Education Alternative Education, and Milpitas Unified.