5008.1: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - 8:35 AM

Abstract #16193

Students Working Against Tobacco: An innovative approach to integrating school and community health programs

Melanie Kaye Corley, BS, CHES and Nicole A. Boyd, JD. The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, 350 West Woodrow Wilson Drive, Suite 499, Jackson, MS 39213, 601-362-0740, melanie.corley@healthy-miss.org

Students Working Against Tobacco (S.W.A.T.) empowers youth in grades 4 - 6 to choose positive, healthy, and tobacco-free lifestyles. Created by the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, S.W.A.T. encourages schools, youth groups, churches, and law enforcement agencies to educate youth in this age group about tobacco prevention through culturally diverse in-class learning activities, school speakers, and community service projects. Over 1,500 4th-6th-grade-trained teachers implement tobacco-related interactive learning activities into their existing curricula. The learning activities focus on peer pressure, refusal skills, and decision-making skills, and are incorporated into existing subject areas, enhancing the schools' existing curricula. The Partnership provides each educator with the necessary resources and incentives for participating. A trained health educator teaches youth about the dangers of tobacco use through an entertaining and interactive game. The educator travels throughout Mississippi in the S.W.A.T. Bug, delivering the educational presentation and awarding youth with prizes for knowing the facts about tobacco use. In 1999 alone, the educational presentations reached over 29,000 youth. Youth educate peers, parents, and the community on the dangers of tobacco use by joining a S.W.A.T. Team in their school, youth group, church, or law enforcement agency. Team members advocate for a tobacco-free community by implementing tobacco-free activities, earning prizes for their advocacy efforts. S.W.A.T. requires team members to participate in an educational "boot camp" which teaches life resiliency skills during their initial membership period. Evaluation data has shown an increase in knowledge by youth who have participated in the S.W.A.T. program.

Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize the importance of incorporating tobacco prevention messages into schools and communities. 2. Identify ways to develop easy-to-understand prevention materials for use in diverse populations. 3. Identify ways to persuade non-traditional community health partners to implement tobacco prevention programs

Keywords: Youth, Health Education Strategies

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.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA