Forsyth County TRU Youth Advisory Council (YAC)

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

Kick Butts Day 2014, Even though it was cold out, you all hung in there, awesome job!!

Forsyth County Department of Public Health Hosts a Smoke-Free Housing Workshop for Property Managers and Landlords in Winston-Salem, NC. Local Youth Advocates (To***co Reality Unfiltered) help attendees understand the health impact of a smoke-free policy for tenants of multi-unit housing. A panel of local apartment managers share information about the economic benefits of a smoke-free policy.

Officials nudge apartment managers to ban smoking Public health officials are making a push to persuade local property owners and managers to implement smoke free policies.

Forsyth County Department of Public Health Hosts a Smoke-Free Housing Workshop for Property Managers and Landlords in Winston-Salem, NC. Local Youth Advocates (To***co Reality Unfiltered) help attendees understand the health impact of a smoke-free policy for tenants of multi-unit housing. A panel of local apartment managers share information about the economic benefits of a smoke-free policy.

Officials nudge apartment managers to ban smoking Public health officials are making a push to persuade local property owners and managers to implement smoke free policies.

Special thanks to those of you who participated in the Smoke-free Housing Lunch & Learn last week, GREAT JOB!
http://wschronicle.com/2014/03/officials-nudge-apartment-managers-to-ban-smoking/

Officials nudge apartment managers to ban smoking Public health officials are making a push to persuade local property owners and managers to implement smoke free policies.

Through With Chew Week 2014! Educational display and game in cafeteria.

http://www.journalnow.com/business/business_news/national_international/eu-lawmakers-back-tougher-anti-smoking-rules/article_3a109fc6-9f1b-11e3-b8bd-0017a43b2370.html -comments

EU lawmakers back tougher anti-smoking rules BRUSSELS — The European Parliament today voted for tougher anti-smoking rules that will make health warnings on cigarette packs larger and include mandatory pictures of rotting teeth or cancer-infested lungs.

I am looking for 3-4 quotes from either current or past TRU members, or someone who has been affected by the TRU movement!! Please post and share your quotes!!!

The TRU youth collaborated with ActionHealth at Baptist Hospital on Thursday, November 21, 2013 for Great American Smokeout! The theme of the event was "Treasure your Chest".

The next TRU meeting will be Monday, Nov 18th 4:30-6pm at the Forsyth County Health Dept. This will be a meeting for new and current members. If you know anyone who would like to join, please have them contact Lindsey Lail at 703-3175

TRU is setting up a table during 1st lunch at RJ Reynolds High School today for Red Ribbon Week!!! Red Ribbon Week is October 23-31st to create awareness for drug prevention! If you attend RJR, please come by and sign our pledge to be drug free!!!

Tonight from 5:30-7:30pm at the Forsyth County Public Health Department we are having an OPEN GENERAL INTEREST meeting for anyone interested in joining TRU!! Please spread the word!! Contact Lindsey Lail at 703-3175 if you plan to attend!

Martin & Greg helping out at Cycling Sunday and Family Fun Day 2013!!!

I hope everyone has a great first day back at school! Start the school year off right, and stay TRU!!!

The new school year is about to start and TRU is recruiting new members from Forsyth County!!! If you are interested in joining TRU, please contact TRU Coordinator, Lindsey Lail at 336-703-3175! We are excited to begin a new and fun year!

BJ Elmore sharing her story about her experience with to***co with the Crosby Scholars. Very inspiring!

Kiera, Martin, and GG with Dan Besse, City Council.

To***co presentation for Crosby Scholars

Check out this short video of a segment on The Doctors about second hand smoke & the ban on smoking in apartments and multi-unit housing.

http://www.examiner.com/video/the-smoking-ban-and-the-effects-of-secondhand-smoke

The Smoking Ban and the Effects of Secondhand Smoke View a video of ‘The Smoking Ban and the Effects of Secondhand Smoke’ and other Syracuse natural health videos.

Tuesday June 18th, the TRU youth will be stopping by several local Starbucks thanking the famous coffee shop for their participation in the ban on outdoor smoking! For more information on the ban, you can view the article from the Huffington Post here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/starbucks-bans-smoking-june-1_n_3365544.html

Starbucks Bans Smoking Within 25 Feet Of Stores The classic combination of coffee and ci******es has been ingrained in pop culture, but Starbucks isn't interested in perpetuating the zeitgeist. As of June 1, the company is banning smoking within 25 feet of its stores, according to news reports.

The 2012-2013 TRU Youth Advisory Council celebrated their end of year party on Friday. We shared all of our hard work during the past year, and are excited to see what the next year will be! Congratulations to all of the seniors who will be graduating this Saturday!

Today is Kick Butts Day!!! March 20, 2013-Make an impact today! Pick up cigarette butt liter, educate someone on harmful effects that to***co has, or do your part in the community!

In North Carolina, 15.5 percent of high school students smoke, and 11,100 more kids become regular smokers each year. To***co annually claims 12,200 lives and costs the state $2.5 billion in health care bills.

This year, state lawmakers eliminated funding for North Carolina's to***co prevention program. As a result, North Carolina is one of four states that have budgeted zero state funds for to***co prevention.

Other key findings for North Carolina include:
•North Carolina, this year, will collect $433 million in revenue from the 1998 to***co settlement and to***co taxes, but will spend none of it on to***co prevention programs.
•While the to***co companies spend $321.3 million a year to market their products in North Carolina.

This is sad because North Carolina's to***co prevention program has helped drive down smoking rates in the state. From 2001 to 2011, North Carolina reduced smoking among high school students by 44 percent (from 27.8 percent to 15.5 percent who smoke).

Despite this success, state lawmakers in 2011 abolished the Health and Wellness Trust Fund, which previously received 25 percent of the state's to***co settlement funds and provided dedicated funding for the state's to***co prevention and cessation program. The program was kept alive in Fiscal Year 2012 with $17.3 million in leftover trust fund dollars, but no new funding was provided this year.

I urge everyone to please visit http://www.to***cofreekids.org/take_action/ and click on North Carolina:Restore funding to the to***co control program! This will help NC get the money back for to***co prevention programs!

Take Action - Campaign for To***co Free Kids To***co use will kill 1 billion people this century -- unless we act now. To***co companies must be held accountable for their marketing practices and deception. To pass strong to***co control laws, we need grassroots support -- we can't do this without you!

YAC set up a display at all lunches at RJ Reynolds high school and educated the students on the harmful effects of smokeless and spit to***co.

Who can name 5 of the chemicals found in a cigarette??? Ready...GO!!!

This week is Through with Chew Week! Smokeless to***co is a concentrated and dangerous form of to***co commonly known as "spit to***co", "chewing to***co", or "s***f".

These products contain 29 known cancer-causing agents and are associated with cancers of the mouth, tongue, throat, and stomach. A newer form of smokeless to***co, recently introduced is Snus.

This product has been marketed towards youth as a harm reduction tool to smokers and promotes dual use. However, Snus extends ni****ne dependency.

Spit to***co is also a known cause of gum recession, permanent tooth staining and loss, and the ni****ne can also contribute to heart disease and stroke.

Visit QuitlineNC, or www.QuitlineNC.com for information on how to quit to***co!

Home QuitlineNC provides free cessation services to any North Carolina resident who needs help quitting to***co use. Quit Coaching is available in different forms, which can be used separately or together, to help any to***co user give up to***co.

The 3rd Birthday of Smoke Free Restaurants went great last week! There will be a write up in the paper, on the county website, and on the TRU page so keep an eye out for those! Thank you to all of the members for continuing to support & advocate for to***co prevention. There are exciting and fun things ahead of us this Spring. Check back for more details!!!

http://youtu.be/yd-gboZJYZ0

President Obama's Great American Smokeout Message President Obama marks the 36th annual Great American Smokeout Obama by urging smokers to put down ci******es for good. More than 46 million Americans smoke, ...