4-11-07
For Immediate Release: Contact Lee Rutledge-Falcione,
(724) 222-6511, Ext. 16
Washington County Youth to Attend Statewide
Tobacco Free Rally
Thirty-six Washington County middle and
high school students will join with students from across
the state in Harrisburg on April 24 and 25 for Youth Quest
2007. The students are from the California, Charleroi, Trinity,
and Washington school districts, as well as John F. Kennedy
Catholic School in Washington.
The students are members of Peer Factor, an active youth
movement to oppose the tobacco industry by exposing the
truth behind their advertising, quitting tobacco use and
helping others to quit, and increasing tobacco-free places.
The theme of this year’s Youth Quest is “planting
the seed for tobacco-free environments.” Students
attending the rally will gather for leadership training,
networking opportunities, and a public forum for communicating
their message of eliminating tobacco use as a social norm.
On the second day of the rally, students will meet with
state legislators to talk about the importance of tobacco-free
environments. The rally will conclude with a march to the
steps of the State Capitol Building, where the students
will create a visual representation of what each county
will look like when Pennsylvania becomes tobacco free.
Peer Factor is facilitated by The Washington Hospital Teen
Outreach through the Tobacco Free Program of Washington
County Health Partners, Inc. (WCHP).
Tobacco Free Program
Washington County
Health Partners, Inc. (WCHP) was named by the Pennsylvania
Department of Health as the primary contractor to continue
to establish community-based, comprehensive tobacco use
prevention and cessation programs for Washington County
between May 2005 and June 2007. The Tobacco Free Program
has carefully addressed each of the contract deliverables
through 7 program areas:
¨
Ask and Advise
helps health care professionals to identify and help Tobacco
Users to quit.
¨
Clear the Air
increases the number of smoke-free environments.
¨
Do Your Part
supports local law enforcement and the business community
in prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors.
¨
Help to Quit
promotes local, phone, and internet-based tobacco cessation
programs.
¨
Knowledge in Action facilitates the exchange of tobacco control-related information between
experts, advocates, and lawmakers.
¨
Set Them Free
works with school-related audiences to implement tobacco-free
programs.
¨
Peer Factor
(BUSTED!)
creates an active youth movement that participates in one
or more of the Peer Factor challenges: to expose the truth
about manipulative and deceptive marketing practices used
to target teens, quit or help others quit using tobacco,
and/or work to increase tobacco-free environments.
For
more information, contact the Tobacco
Free Program at:
724-222-6511, toll free 1-866-904-FREE (3733), or info@tobaccofreewashington.org.
Washington
County Health Partners, Inc.
Incorporated in 2000, Washington County Health Partners,
Inc. (WCHP) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
the enhancement of the health and well-being of Washington County
residents. Recognized
as a State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) Community Health
Partnership by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, WCHP
performs periodic community health assessments to identify
county health issues.
WCHP
provides a forum through its volunteer-led, collaborative
task forces for health and human service agencies, businesses,
local government, schools and colleges, the faith community,
civic organizations, community volunteers, and law enforcement
to combine expertise and resources to address health issues,
including access to health insurance, community wellness,
minority health, nutrition, respiratory health, teen wellness,
and tobacco free initiatives.
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