Return to SmokeFree Times list Return to TCN Welcome Page
From SmokeFree Times newsletter, American Lung Association of Rhode Island - May, 1999 pp.1-2
Youth Taking A Stand
Youth Taking a Stand members unveiled the billboard designed by a member, Sokeo Ros, at a press conference on April 20. The billboard, located on Valley Street, is one of 84 that will carry anti-smoking messages throughout the state. The billboard campaign, aimed at young people, is a joint program of Project ASSIST and two billboard companies, Chancellor Outside Media and Radding Company. Tobacco opponents were out in force including Lieutenant Governor Fogarty, Attorney General Whitehouse, and Dr. Patricia Nolan, Director of the Department of Health. Sokeo Ros, the winner of an anti-tobacco billboard design contest, signed his work surrounded by youth committed to tobacco control. They celebrated the tearing down of the negative tobacco ads that had been in this location. In their place is a youth-designed positive tobacco control message.
Youth Taking a Stand grew out of the collaborative activities of five multi-cultural inner city organizations that serve youth - Duncan Arts Collaborative, Progreso Latino, Rhode Island Indian Council, Socio-Economic Development Center for Southeast Asians, and the Urban League. Although each of these agencies has individual tobacco control programs in place they work jointly on major tobacco control activities/events. Their efforts are sponsored by Project ASSIST.
Youth Taking a Stand began in August of 1998 with an overnight retreat organized by the Youth Advocacy Council. Five youth from each of the collaborating agencies participated in the tobacco training and the run-ning of workshops. Some of the topics addressed included: the contrast between the Native American view of tobacco use as a traditional cultural practice and the commercial emphasis of the tobacco industry's view; youth-to-youth paired interviewing as a technique to reveal how adolescents think and feel about tobacco use; and a media advocacy component that included the writing of press releases and ways of contacting media to get coverage for tobacco control events. The youth participants from the different agencies developed cohesion as a group of young tobacco control advocates. They adopted the name of Youth Taking A Stand.
During October members of the Youth Advocacy Council/Youth Taking A Stand completed the planning and tee shirt design for a joint activity that took place in November (on the day of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smoke Out). This event took place at Kennedy Plaza in the center of downtown Providence. Balloons and a dance performance framed the informational content about tips and resources to quit smoking. Providence youth (from the Urban Collaborative) joined Youth Taking A Stand in this event. More than 50 youth took part in this event promoting smoking cessation.
The tobacco prevention coordinators from the five agencies continued to meet during winter school break and holidays through February. Individual agency tobacco control objectives were reviewed and explored as possi-bilities for further collaboration. In January 1999 Youth Taking a Stand members attended the Project ASSIST sponsored Youth Summit at the Sheraton Hotel at the airport.
Currently, planning is under way for the May "Dead for the Day" event that was piloted last year (and got great media coverage then). This event focuses on the issue of second-hand smoke. During one day in May members of Youth Taking A Stand will wear a black T-shirt printed with a white coffin and the words "Dead for a Day - and I Didn't Even Smoke". Youth from the Providence Urban Collaborative (from the six inner city schools of Nathan Bishop, Nathaniel Greene, and Roger Williams Middle Schools and Central, Classical, and Feinstein High Schools) will also participate. Schools are supporting this event by setting up tables in the lunchrooms so that a maximum number of students are reached.
For more information on Youth Taking a Stand activities call any of the five collaborating agencies.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Read other articles in May 1999 issue:
Diamond Skills Interview with Marco Andrade
Return to SmokeFree Times list