North Carolina is a state with a long history of economic dependence upon the growing and processing of tobacco. Nevertheless, tobacco control advocates have made significant progress in building state-level and community support for policies that discourage youth tobacco use and in engaging youth in tobacco control activities.
This work has proceeded successfully because tobacco control advocates mobilized organizational partners from both the private and public sector, undertook youth training efforts with ethnically diverse populations, developed projects which meet the needs of schools and youth organizations, and engaged the support of state policy makers at key points.
This period of laying the groundwork culminated in a statewide Governor's Youth Tobacco Summit in January 2000 with 800 youth and adult attendees. The objectives of the Summit included building the capacity of youth and adults to develop local action plans to address tobacco use by youth, promoting quitting, eliminating exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and eliminating tobacco-related disparities among population groups. One notable feature of the Summit was a "Teen Town Meeting" in which both youth tobacco users and non-users talked about the role of tobacco in their lives. The Summit concluded with planning sessions to assist delegates in carrying out collaborative prevention efforts in their home communities.
In recognition of the state's recent progress, the Robert Wood Johnson has funded a three year project for regional youth centers to plan and carry out innovative youth training and advocacy efforts.
Learning Objectives: The attendees will gain an understanding of: 1) what it takes to work with youth on tobacco control; 2) how coalitions can combine resources from the public and private sectors to achieve outcomes; 3) what elements are needed to ensure media coverage and community action
Keywords: Tobacco Control, Youth
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.