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National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion |
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Tobacco use, which causes nearly 440,000 deaths in the United States each
year, remains the leading preventable cause of death in our nation. Medical
science has shown that nonsmokers suffer from many of the diseases
associated with active smoking when they breathe environmental tobacco
smoke, or secondhand smoke. In Kentucky, 25% of high school students were
current smokers in 2006. Although the health risks associated with tobacco
use and secondhand smoke are well documented, in states like Kentucky, where
tobacco is a major cash crop, opposition to smoke-free policies can be
strong.
Youth from Kentucky’s 4-H Team Leadership Councils participated in a local Help Overcome Tobacco (H.O.T.) Youth Conference in 2006. The Coordinated School Health Program and Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program—both funded through the CDC—jointly conducted regional H.O.T. conferences through Kentucky’s Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Lifestyle Education and Resource Team Regional Prevention Center. The H.O.T. conferences were organized to raise awareness of tobacco-related issues and increase capacity for youth advocacy efforts in tobacco use prevention.
Participating students learned how to organize a public awareness
campaign and how best to contact elected officials. Working together, these
4-H youth spearheaded a petition campaign, ultimately gathering 4,000
signatures in support of a smoke-free ordinance for the Pike County Fiscal
Court and the Hall of Justice Building. Consequently, at its May 2006
meeting, the Fiscal Court passed an ordinance prohibiting smoking in all
enclosed areas in these two public buildings and within 15 feet of the
building exteriors.
The successful petition campaign, organized by trained and committed
students, underscores the growing awareness among youth about the dangers of
tobacco use and secondhand smoke and the potential impact students can have
in effecting environmental change. This achievement, accomplished through
student advocacy, serves as a positive model for other students and
communities throughout Kentucky.
NOTE: Success stories, including background data and
outcomes, reflect information as reported by participating programs. Also,
in this context, impact refers to short-term or intermediate outcomes.
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Contact Us Page last reviewed:
April 23, 2008
Division of Adolescent
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