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Preventing Youth from Beginning Tobacco Use
Tobacco
use, the nation’s number one cause of preventable death, is a
childhood-onset disease. Magazine advertisements, movies, and retail
marketing have shaped a youth culture that views tobacco use as glamorous,
social, grown-up, and rebellious.
Forty-five children in Washington
start using tobacco every day
and one-third of them will eventually die from it. To address this public
health scourge, the Washington Tobacco
Prevention and Control Program conducts a comprehensive, innovative, and
diverse campaign to prevent youth from beginning tobacco use. As a result of these
efforts, there
are about 65,000
fewer Washington kids smoking than before the program began in
1999.
The campaign includes three
major elements:
How youth can get
involved
-
Teens Against Tobacco Use Program
Teens Against Tobacco Use (T.A.T.U.)
is a peer education program sponsored by the American Lung Association
in which high school students are trained to teach about the hazards of
tobacco use to middle and elementary school students.
Find a T.A.T.U. group in your community.
- Youth coalitions
Young community leaders help plan youth-related tobacco prevention
activities in counties across the state.
Youth action teams are specially trained
representatives of eight county coalitions who receive advanced
technical assistance and training from media relations professionals.
Counties with youth action teams include Skagit, Spokane, Pierce, Grant,
Clark, Skamania, Pacific, and Benton/Franklin.
- SpeakOut!
The American Cancer
Society helps youth leaders and their adult partners build strong youth
coalitions for tobacco prevention and advocacy through the
SpeakOut!
Youth Initiative
Program. Workshops are held throughout the state and participants
receive a toolkit as well as the ability to apply for mini-grants. Find
a SpeakOut! group in your community.
Find out how to get involved in your
community
Where to find anti-tobacco
information in your:
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Linked external Web pages are routinely monitored by the Department
for materials that advocate for political outcomes. If you find any
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