News and Events
Students from Okeechobee High School Observe Kick Butts Day
March 20, 2013
Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to stand out and speak up against Big Tobacco. Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) members from across the country organize events in their schools and cities to raise awareness to the dangers of tobacco use and encourage youth to stay tobacco free.
Okeechobee High School SWAT youth set up a booth and displayed signs and posters in their school cafeteria throughout the entire week of March 18-22. Over 150 students and staff signed pledges to remain tobacco free and more than a few former smokers visited the SWAT booth sharing their stories and encouraging SWAT members to keep fighting against tobacco. Several tobacco users who expressed interest in quitting were referred to cessation services through Florida's "3 Ways to Quit" Program.
The TFP and SWAT youth in Okeechobee have been kicking tobacco’s butt since January, and not just on Kick Butts Day!
Okeechobee High School and Yearling Middle School members joined hundreds of walkers at the annual March of Dimes Walkathon on March 9th to show their support for the organization whose mission is to help moms have full-term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies. The Tobacco Free Partnership knows that smoking during pregnancy can cause serious health risks to both mother and baby and exposes the baby to dangerous chemicals like nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar. Supporting this organization is a perfect fit for the Tobacco Prevention Program in Okeechobee, and Partnership members set up a “Spirit Station” with refreshments and giveaways to help motivate walkers and cheer them on as they walked their final mile.
Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation is also partnering with local health organizations to help provide training and educational materials needed to educate pregnant mothers and refer them to cessation services. Quit Smoking Now classes are held every other month at Raulerson Hospital and Okeechobee County Library.
