The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: The purpose of this presentation is to provide the audience with a broad understanding of the potential of involving youth in tobacco prevention in a comprehensive way. The workshop will describe the advantages of involving youth, provide guidance on the process of developing (or enhancing) a youth program, and then provide specific examples of activities that youth can undertake to promote tobacco prevention. The primary audience is adults who work with youth, or would like to incorporate youth into their existing programs, and youth who are involved in tobacco prevention who would like additional prevention strategies.

Methods: Attendees of this presentation will be given specific steps for organizing a youth program, providing adult supervision, recruiting youth, and developing leaders. Later in the workshop students from Dover Youth to Youth will provide the attendees with actual examples of projects and initiatives, including an interactive example of skill-building, that are part of this comprehensive program. Initiatives in each of the following categories will be demonstrated: legislative, enforcement, community-based awareness, theatrical, musical, educational, and media.

Results: In this presentation attendees will learn how this model program successfully enrolls upwards of 200 students every year who actively participate in tobacco activism and advocacy. They will learn how to teach students the skills necessary to take part in tobacco advocacy, such as public speaking, developing media, and promoting legislation. Attendees will learn the strategies that have allowed this program to successfully organize youth and to get them highly involved in tobacco prevention work.