The Power of Ten - Tobacco Free Northeast PA

On December 1, 2011, Youth Infusion, Inc. was awarded a subcontract through the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Health to engage at least twenty youth of Monroe County in a school‐based tobacco prevention education campaign. The goal of the Tobacco Free Northeast program is to facilitate a comprehensive tobacco control program in the Northeast Health District which includes the counties of Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming. It includes required elements by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Best Practices:prevent initiation of tobacco use among young people, promote quitting among adults and young people, eliminate nonsmokers’ exposure to secondhand smoke, and identify and eliminate tobacco related health disparities.

Students in this year's program developed an educational program which they presented to children in the Pocono Family YMCA afterschool program. They also worked with the SADD Club at East Stroudsburg High School South to hold an awareness event during Kick Butts Day on March 21, 2012. On this day, the groups set up tables in the cafeteria highlighting dangerous ingredients found in cigarettes. They also had students fill out blue cards that show their support for clean air, which will be sent to their state legislatures. The famous "Stinky Ciggy" was there to draw students to the table to learn more about the dangers of smoking and to gather resources to help them quit. 

In past years students organized county‐wide events such as the Kick Butts Day on March 23, 2011 and the World No Tobacco Day in May 2011. Students from Youth Infusion’s Tobacco Free Team visited Pleasant Valley Intermediate School on Monday May 23rd, 2011. The Youth Infusion team spoke to 40 students and 2 administrators about the dangers of tobacco. They also met with State Representatives Mario Scavello and Rosemary Brown to discuss the importance of tobacco free education and visited the YMCA to teach the group about being tobacco free.

To learn more about the program or to join the campaign, please contact us.