Reaching Youth At An Early Age With Tobacco Awareness

Reaching Youth At An Early Age With Tobacco Awareness

Audience: This workshop would be useful for teachers, school nurses, community leaders, and any mentor who works in prevention at a local or statewide level. This workshop will prove that is never too early to start teaching the youth about the dangers of tobacco and secondhand smoke.

Key Points: The Reject All Tobacco (RAT) program is an innovated approach that proves it is never too early to teach tobacco education and prevention.

Performances are delivered with a tobacco-free message to students in grades K-3. The group travels to schools across the state and performs with interactive original songs and dances.

The students are receiving the same message through internet, in-school and afterschool activities and media. All RAT marketing opportunities educate students on the consequences of tobacco and gives opportunities to teach up to others.

Educational Experience: In this interactive workshop the participant will see samples of the performances, contests, lesson plans and media. Lessons learned from implementing this program for over 10 years will be discussed. Participants can have samples and ideas to implement in their communities.

Benefits: Terrance an animated RAT provides a powerful execution of the message, "You Better Tell Somebody.” The students are encouraged to “teach up” and help spread the message of the dangers of tobacco. The health lesson is remembered long after the performance. Since 1998, Terrance and his partners in “rhyme” have reached more than 180,000 students. Participants will identify creative ways to implement tobacco prevention to students in K-3 grades.