#notareplacement

Thoughts from the Youth Advocacy Board –

SWAT Recruitment and Retention

  The main basis of Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), are the members which convey and advocate the truth about the Big Tobacco industry. To recruit new members into SWAT, I recommend that we should focus and promote what we truly represent. This involves education on what Big Tobacco actually does to advertise to the public, especially the youth. This would include the tactics of associating tobacco products with candy products and strategically placing advertisements near schools or parks. Another idea is to show how RJ Reynolds said they do not sell to youth, but their actions say otherwise; including, the document from February 29, 1984 which stated that the youth are replacement smokers for those who die from tobacco-related illnesses. Try to paint a picture of the bad guys (Big Tobacco), and the good guys (SWAT!). Another recommendation I would give to improve recruitment is to showcase past successes SWAT has had, such as the Not a Replacement campaign and the various accomplishments of each county chapter. Always try to relate to those who you want to recruit as colleagues/teammate. It's good to pitch SWAT as a interactive, fun, and inviting organization!!

  Some ideas I would recommend regarding SWAT retention include inspiring them to take action within their community, educating them on laws regarding tobacco products, and making sure that each youth grants an equal amount of participation. Depending on the level of each youth in the organization of SWAT, each strategy of retention will vary. Make sure that each participant in the SWAT organization is ready to contribute to the best of their ability. Another recommendation I can give is to provide, to those who are ready for it, leadership opportunities so that these individual youth may expand their horizons and skills.

Spring is here and there is no better time to “Quit and Tell”.  In celebration of Tobacco Free Florida Week, April 26-May 2, 2015 we are encouraging Floridians who have stopped using tobacco to tell us their story.  Your personal account of persistence and triumph to break an addiction to nicotine may be someone else’s inspiration to quit. 

Big Tobacco wants us to think that everyone smokes.  In fact they target youth as “replacement smokers” since 9 of 10 smokers start before the age of 18[i].   It is our job to correct that misconception among our generation.  To do this, we need your story.  And if you haven’t quit yet, there is no better time than now.   Tobacco Free Florida can help with the Three Ways to Quit.  Together we can make this quit attempt the one you’ll want to tell the world about.

To submit a quit story, please visit http://www.tobaccofreeflorida.com/quitandtell/