Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE)

The purpose of the TUPE program is to reduce youth tobacco use by helping young people make healthful tobacco-related decisions through tobacco-specific educational instruction and activities that build knowledge as well as social skills and youth-development assets.

                         

Proposition 99, approved by the California voters in the November 1988 general election, increased by 25 cents the tax on each pack of cigarettes sold in the state. The annual Budget Act appropriates funds from the Tobacco Surtax fund to provide tobacco use prevention education. These funds are distributed to the California Department of Education (CDE) for TUPE programs in Grades 4-12. The Budget Act stipulates that 90 percent of local assistance funds be allocated to school districts for TUPE program

in public schools.  This is accomplished through a competative grant process.

                                
                                     Heidi Brahms