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Preventing Kids from Starting to Smoke has Successful Outcomes
Tens of thousands of kids in our state are now more informed to make better lifestyle choices thanks to the American Lung Association of Washington’s tobacco prevention program, Teens Against Tobacco Use.
Over the past school year, the American Lung Association of Washington staff has traveled the state to train adult facilitators to train nearly 2,000 middle and high school students to educate younger kids about the hazards of tobacco use.
Every day in Washington State, 45 kids start to smoke and their average age is 12 years old.
Our Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) program reaches out to kids before they are 12 to help them understand why they are being targeted by tobacco companies. The program has also been culturally adapted to both Native American and Latino communities.
Our middle and high school students reached out to more than 42,000 younger kids in the past school year!! This far exceeded the goals of the program.
The TATU program is part of a statewide tobacco prevention effort that is working. Since the programs started in 1999, youth smoking has nearly dropped in half!!
If you are an adult or teen and would like to become a TATU facilitator or Teen teacher, please contact one of our TATU coordinators or call (800) 732-9339 to join a local program or start one.
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