Building a Statewide Youth Movement for Tobacco Prevention: Mass Youth Against Tobacco of Massachusetts

Mass Youth Against Tobacco (MYAT), a project funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and managed by The Medical Foundation, is creating a unique, youth-led statewide movement for tobacco control and prevention. MYAT's program components include a mini-grants program, six regional youth advisory groups, youth leadership awards, an annual youth advocacy event, a film-shorts contest, and the84.org – a youth tobacco prevention website.

Mini-grants are awarded to support youth already deeply engaged in tobacco prevention to advance education and advocacy work in their local communities. Advisory groups that cover each of the six regions of the state give youth a platform to be public leaders for needed tobacco-related policy changes.

In addition, youth have the opportunity to participate in MYAT's movement by creating a film-short or speaking out in a web forum. Using this as an entry point, MYAT draws youth with less exposure to the cause to get their voices heard and connect with other youth statewide. It also provides an avenue for these youth to later get involved in ongoing advocacy projects.

Youth in MYAT have led tobacco prevention efforts in their community. Efforts have included revising local signage ordinances to limit tobacco advertising in retail stores and running social norms campaigns that reverse misperceptions that “everyone is doing it.”

This session will propose methods to effectively and creatively engage youth in tobacco prevention and foster youth advocacy to ultimately build a youth tobacco control movement.