Educational Material and How Tobacco Effects Your Community

Whether you are a parent who wants to talk to your kids about vaping or want to learn more about the local statistics of tobacco and nicotine in San Joaquin County, this section is to educate and keep county residents informed about all things tobacco. Feel free to print and use these materials to educate and serve your community. If you are looking for additional information or need help navigating the website please email stopp@sjcphs.org for further assistance.

Local Data

Tobacco use in San Joaquin County: Progress towards the Endgame.

SHC Smoking status Gender -1

San Joaquin County is making progress in the fight against tobacco use, with a local smoking rate of 7.5%, slightly above California’s average of 6.1%. In San Joaquin County, 10.4% of men smoke, while only 5.1% of women do. This shows the need for targeted outreach to men in the county.

Cigarette vs e-cigarette use among Teens in SJC -1

The data also shows that teens in San Joaquin County are using both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. E-cigarette use is more common than cigarette use, with high school students using e-cigarettes more than four times as often as cigarettes in their lifetime.

To make further strides in reducing tobacco use in the county, San Joaquin County Public Health Services (PHS) received a six-year grant from the California Tobacco Control Program (CTCP) in 2022 to support its Smoking & Tobacco Outreach/Prevention Program (STOPP). The program’s mission is to reduce tobacco use through policy change, public education, and cessation resources. A key element of this effort includes tracking annual referrals to Kick It California, the state’s cessation helpline.

Kick It California is a free, evidence-based program that helps Californians quit smoking, vaping, and smokeless tobacco. It offers various support options like phone coaching, a mobile app, text messages, and online chat. The program is funded by the California Department of Public Health and the California Tobacco Prevention Program. Apart of measuring our cessation efforts is tracking the data of clients from San Joaquin County that have used Kick-it annually. In 2024, Kick It California received 880 referrals from San Joaquin County—a 58% increase from 2023. Most clients were connected through 211 referrals and were predominantly White/non-Hispanic females aged 25-44. Notably, there was a rise in Black and Hispanic/Latino clients, male clients, and individuals reporting behavioral health conditions such as anxiety and depression. The data shows us that more people in San Joaquin County are seeking cessation services yet they may be gaps in priority populations. So we have created a list of suggestions of how we have reach further populations in 2025. These suggestions include;

Increase public awareness of Kick It California services.
Promote quit lines with healthcare providers.
Work with Community Based Organizations with a focus on priority populations to promote Kick It California and educate their members about the harms of tobacco and nicotine.
Create and/or adapt Kick It California promotional materials and infographics to be more culturally relevant and language accessible to priority populations in San Joaquin County.
Create and/or adapt Kick It California promotional materials and infographics that discuss the relationship between Behavioral Health and Tobacco/Nicotine use and the benefits of quitting to mental health.

Presentations

STOPP team also provides presentations to the community that are custom made to the populations, here is a preview of some of the presentation we have given. Feel free to email STOPP@sjcphs.org to request a presentation.