Youth Activism in Guelph, Alive and Healthy!
City Council received an inspiring delegation at last night’s council meeting by the local chapter of Students Working against Tobacco (SWAT). Young people from across the city filled over half the gallery during the highly professional presentation outlining the group’s anti-tobacco initiatives and outreach.
SWAT is a group of Youth Peer Leaders working for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
They are part of a network of Youth Action Alliances across Ontario working to expose what they see as the destructive marketing practices of the tobacco industry. The delegation explained that, “The tobacco industry operates outside the norms of legitimate business by producing the only product that when used as directed will kill. In fact, tobacco use kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides COMBINED.”
The group’s message struck a very personal cord for me having recently experienced the death of a parent to tobacco related disease while at the same time watching my 15 year old daughter struggle with the very same addiction that killed my mother. It was incredibly powerful to see young people rallying together to support other young people.
Swat projects are youth-led and are created to create positive social change!
Visit the local SWAT website – http://www.smoke-fx.com/local/SWAT/
May 27th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Hello,
My name is Jordon Kehoe and I am a member of SWAT. I wanted to thank the city council for their support. I also wanted to invite every one to Stone Road Mall on Thursday May 31st for World No Tobacco Day. Come see us take action and sign our petition against the tobacco industry.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:21 am
If you are interested in learning about tobacco control methods and tobacco control activism check out the website “Global Tobacco Control Learning from the Experts” http://www.globaltobaccocontrol.org This site offers free instructional training for policy makers, researchers, educators and the general public.
It helps participants learn how to advocate for substantial anti-smoking regulations and craft media campaigns that make a difference. The online lectures are given by tobacco control experts around the world. Its educational, interesting, and free.