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Youth Prevention - TATU
Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU), is a peer education program in which middle school and high school students are trained to teach about the hazards of tobacco use to elementary school students.
A program that challenges teens to answer:
- Why has the tobacco company spent over $100 million in Washington State alone advertising their product? And why is youth their main target?
- Why is tobacco, the only product on the market used as intended will hurt or kill you, still legal?
- Why are cigarette ingredients not listed on the pack?
- How is tobacco the number one cause of preventable death?
TATU Newsletter
Read our current TATU Newsletter and discover what TATU teens in your area are doing.
What is currently happening around the state with TATU?
Mini Grants
- September- mini-grant applications available
- Monthly - applications due through April 30th
- June 2 - mini-grant paperwork must be completed
Congratulations to our TATU recipients this month!
View our 2007-2008 TATU mini grant recipients.
Teens Against Tobacco abUse
The TATU program has been adapted to reflect the role of traditional tobacco use in Native American culture. Teens Against Tobacco abUse helps Tribal and Urban Indian youth prevent the abuse of tobacco in their communities. For more information contact Yvette Avila.
In addition, the TATU program has also been adapted for Latino communities in Washington State. The adaptation incorporates the rich history of the Latino culture into a relevant tobacco prevention 
program for today's Latino youth. Some forms and activities have been translated into Spanish. For more information contact Cindy Thompson.
How can I implement TATU in my community/school?
In order to implement TATU, your community/school needs to send interested adult program facilitator(s) to an all day training sponsored by the American Lung Association® of Washington.
We would need commitments for:
- One or two adult program facilitators, and
- One school program coordinator that would be in direct communication with the American Lung Association® (this person can be one of the facilitators).
Interested in becoming a TATU facilitator?
Fill out our registration form (for WA residents only) and a TATU coordinator from your region will contact you about the next training.
What does the adult TATU facilitator's training involve?
The adult facilitators' training includes:
- One TATU facilitators' manuals and program packet per facilitator
- Copies of the program evaluation component
- A Certificate of Completion
- Support from the American Lung Association® office during program implementation
The adult TATU facilitators training covers the following topics:
- Tobacco 101
- How to recruit TATU peer educators
- How to manage the TATU program and TATU peer educators
- How to develop an action plan and market TATU to elementary schools and community groups
- How to evaluate the effectiveness of the TATU program
What does the teen TATU facilitators training involve?
Using hands on activities and plenty of interaction with the other teens, this training is fun, busy and exciting. It prepares youth to create their own tobacco prevention presentation for elementary school children. They get to be as creative as they want - posters, raps, skits, videos, game shows, etc.!
The youth training workshop agenda includes:
- Welcome and Introductions
- Community building
- TATU overview
- Learning about your audience
- Risk Awareness
- Video Time
- Truth in Advertising
- Using the facts
- Planning presentations
- Developing an action plan
Upcoming TATU trainings:
Date Location Contact
Become A TATU Coordinator
For more information please contact your local TATU coordinator:
| Cheryl McDonald | Eastern |
| Chelsea Snodgrass | South Central |
| Hailey Croci | North Central |
| Yvette Avila | Western |
| Todd Kent | Peninsula |
| Cristal Connelly | South Puget Sound |
| Colleen Wahto | Southwest |
Seeing the Sun Rise from Mount Rainier
