News and Events
Gilchrist County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Clubs Begin Planning for the 2020-2021 Year!
September 21, 2020
Gilchrist Students Working Against Tobacco clubs are established to give young people in Gilchrist County the opportunity to speak out in the community to let people know the ways that tobacco companies target them and their friends to become replacement customers for the 430,000 people who die from tobacco related illness each year. SWAT youth take this message seriously since approximately 90% of all smokers report that they started smoking before the age of 18. These young people are dedicated to educating and advocating for policies that will help other youth stay tobacco-free for life.
Gilchrist County SWAT members plan to be active this year to raise awareness about e-cigarette use among youth. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the nation, the Gilchrist County SWAT Clubs plan to be active. Our clubs will be meeting using social distancing policies starting in September. It has been a difficult time for all Floridians as we face the COVID-19 crisis, but our SWAT youth are dedicated to working toward being a nicotine-free generation.
Our SWAT clubs in Bell and Trenton are working toward recruiting new members, and promoting their goal to create a generation of youth who are tobacco and nicotine free. They will be educating the community on the issue of the tobacco company marketing techniques that attract young people. They will continue to work toward their goals by promoting policies that give a clear tobacco-free message to youth and parents in order to build new social norms in the county which support living a tobacco-free and nicotine free lifestyle.
