Soccer Smoking & Prevention

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Here are some examples of tobacco-free sports policies: The Spirit of Health, Tobacco- Free Youth Soccer Project Health Education Council Sacramento, California (916) 556-3344 Staff with the Spirit of Health, Tobacco-Free Youth Soccer Project collaborate with soccer and Little League Baseball groups at the grass­roots and association levels to pro­mote the adoption of tobacco-free policies throughout California. . They give information about tobac-co-free policies to parents, coaches, and referees at soccer coaching clin­ics, annual equipment shows, and soccer games and tournaments. . They offer technical assistance to soccer associations and other organ­izations interested in adopting tobacco-free policies. . They give "No Smoking" signs to schools, parks, and recreation departments for display at local playing fields.

World-class tandem cyclists Pam Fernandes and Al Whaley earned the first gold medal ever won by a US tandem team in Paralympic history at the 2000 Paralympic Games, where tobacco-free policies were successful. While in Sydney, they also set a new world record and earned a silver medal. Ms. Fernandes, who is blind, began cycling as a way to get in shape after undergoing more than 30 surgeries related to her diabetes. She now uses her celebrity status to raise awareness about diabetes. Mr. Whaley mentors young riders and has spoken out against drug use for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Both cyclists encourage youth to lead healthy, active, tobacco-free lives. Photo by Mike Gladu. . They publish articles about prevent­ing tobacco use and place related ads in newspapers, newsletters, and local tournament programs. . They reinforce tobacco-free policies by hosting promotional activities at Knights, Galaxy, and Clash home games and by giving teams and leagues the council's T-shirts, water bottles, pennants, sports bags, and beverage coolers bearing the tobacco-free soccer message.

One of the many collaborators in this project is the California Youth Soccer Association, which has a policy on tobacco use that goes beyond discour­aging kids from using tobacco. It also aims to educate all people attending their games about the dangers of tobac­co and to eliminate the mixed mes­sages that children receive through tobacco advertising and its associ­ation with sporting events. (See California Youth Soccer Association policy, page 8.) The Tobacco-Free Sports Playbook 3

Ban on Tobacco Use at Recreation Council Activities Carroll County Department of Enterprise and Recreation Services Carroll County, Maryland (888) 302-8978 This policy evolved from a mother's concern over her daughter's severe asthma attacks, which were triggered by secondhand smoke at the girl's soc­cer games. The policy, the first of its kind in the state of Maryland, attracted a flurry of national media attention- most of it good for the tobacco-free movement. The 12-year-old soccer star played on four county soccer teams. Her mother convinced all 18 of the county's recreation councils to support a ban on any form of tobacco use at all games they sponsor. The policy, which won unanimous support from county commissioners, prohibits the use of tobacco products-including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, and snuff-within 50 yards of a public or private playing field in Carroll County when children are playing organized sports. About 24,000 Carroll County children are involved in recreation council sports. Carroll County recre­ation officials are now sharing their policy with other interested leagues. (See Carroll County policy, page 7.) Smoke-Free Kids and Soccer Program Partnership for a Tobacco-Free Maine and United Soccer Federation of Maine Augusta, Maine (207) 990-0662 The United Soccer Federation of Maine aims to eliminate the mixed messages that youth sometimes receive from coaches, players, and others who are role models. Soccer Maine asks its member clubs to for­mally adopt and support a tobacco-free policy that goes far beyond banning smoking at games: . The participating soccer clubs ban tobacco use by all persons during games, practices, and other club- or team-sponsored activities. . They ban the sale of tobacco look-alike candy at league games and tournaments. . A dress code prohibits coaches, players, and others from wearing shirts, hats, and other gear bearing tobacco logos at games, practices, and other club- or team-sponsored activities. . Soccer clubs support the efforts of staff, volunteers, and players who are trying to quit or reduce their use of tobacco around the team. This support includes referrals to cessa­tion services. . The clubs sign a resolution to sup­port the Smoke-Free Kids and Soccer lifestyle by placing the pro-gram's logo on team uniforms; encouraging coaches to promote an active, healthy, tobacco-free lifestyle among players; and encouraging coaches to follow through with one or more of the youth activities from