Earth Day
Public health advocates across the state have an opportunity to raise awareness about the devastating consequences to our environment of commercial tobacco growing, manufacturing, and use.
Smoke/Tobacco-Free Earth Day Events
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.
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.
REGISTRATION
Registration for the 2024 event is closed.
LEARN MORE
Get educated on how commercial tobacco impacts the environment.
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.
Plan an Event
Earth Day festivals and events are a great place to share how tobacco and nicotine products negatively impact the environment. Use the Earth Day Toolkit to learn more about the desctructive cycle of commercial tobacco and how to use this information to engage and educate community and campus members on strategies to eliminate tobacco waste and secondhand smoke from our environment.
SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Use your social media pages to share information about tobacco’s impact on the environment. You can utilize the Earth Day 2024 social media posts to educate young people on how tobacco products harm the environment. And, consider sharing the The Earth is Not Disposable: Nicotine Vape Waste video or the Tobacco and the Environment video. More guidance for sharing messages is available here.
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 https://kickitca.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.