Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education

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Second Chance is a FREE on-line, interactive, and self-directed alternative to suspension program for Colorado teens that violate tobacco policy at school, or tobacco law in the community. The program may also be helpful for teens that are experimenting with tobacco, but have not violated tobacco policy. Second Chance is an educational program designed help students think about the role that tobacco plays in their lives and move them towards quitting. Second Chance is not a cessation program.

www.secondchancetobacco.org

Second Chance Informational Brochure: Click Here (PDF, 3.5 MB)

Includes information on the program rationale, specifications, goals, and objectives.

Getting Started with Second Chance: A Step-by-Step Guide for Program Administrators: Click Here (PDF, 1.5 MB)

Includes information on how to start using Second Chance in your school or community-based organization. Go to www.secondchancetobacco.org/admin to sign your students/youth up to use the free program.

Who Benefits from Second Chance?

Schools, local health agencies, and youth-serving organizations can use the program as a part of a comprehensive tobacco education and prevention strategy. Administrators have the ability to:

• Assign student usernames and passwords
• Track student progress in the program
• Analyze student demographics
• Review pre- and post-test results

Second Chance Content

Information in the Second Chance program is broken up into three major sections: Community, School, and Home. The following information is included in each section:

• Community: Tobacco Myths and Facts, Big Tobacco, Tobacco Laws
• School: Laws and Schools, Teen Opinions and Norms, Hooked on Nicotine, Influences
• Home: Tobacco Costs, Communication, My Action Plan, Step-by-Step

Students must complete a pre- and post-test as well as a brief chapter review after each of the three sections. The length of time needed to complete the program will vary with each student and may be between 1 – 1.5 hours. Students may complete the program in multiple sittings. If a student needs to log off before they complete the program, they will start at the place they left off when they sign on again.

For More Information

Second Chance Overview PowerPoint: Click Here (PPT, 9 MB)

Sample Student Consent Form: Click Here (PDF, 100k)

Second Chance was developed with funding from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership (STEPP). Amendment 35 voter-approved tobacco tax funds were used to finance program development.

Curricula Ordering Information

Click here to download ordering information for tobacco prevention curricula (PDF, 71k).

For information about curriculum training contact Paula Roseboom at paular@rmc.org or 303-867-9119.

About the K-12 Tobacco Prevention Initiative

Funding to support Colorado’s tobacco prevention and control programs is made available through the passage of Amendment 35, the tobacco tax ballot initiative passed in November 2004 and HB05-1262, the enabling legislation for Amendment 35 signed into law on June 2, 2005.

With funding from the State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership (STEPP) at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), RMC administers grants and provides professional development opportunities for schools implementing the Essential Components of Tobacco Prevention for Schools. The RMC K-12 Tobacco Prevention Initiative is part of Colorado’s comprehensive statewide approach to address youth and young adult tobacco issues.

Essential Components of Effective Tobacco Prevention for Schools

Comprehensive school-based tobacco prevention programs include the following five essential components:

• Policy
• Classroom Instruction
• Cessation
• Parent and Family Involvement
• Community Linkages

These components are based on the Guidelines for School Health Programs to Prevent Tobacco Use and Addiction (published by the CDC) and the Oregon Health Division’s 2001 School Progress Report.   Professional development and evaluation are integral to the success of each component. 

Click here for a list of the Essential Components and Sample Activities (PDF, 122k).