Teens Take Action to Create Change in their Communities
Cazenovia, N.Y., August 10, 2016 – Nine teens from Kingston, Wallkill and Poughkeepsie represented the Tobacco Free Action Communities (TFAC) program of HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley, a member of Westchester Medical Center Health Network, at the annual statewide Reality Check Youth Summit from July 12-14. This year the Summit, which took place at Cazenovia College, was an opportunity for youth to develop and use the personal skills and talents they possess to help shape the statewide movement toward a tobacco-free generation.
The theme for the summit was "iAM Building a Tobacco-Free Generation." Group activities and workshops prepared youth advocates to stand up to the tobacco industry and play a major role in creating change in their local communities by educating elected officials and working with key community leaders to address the problem of youth smoking.
"Tobacco is still the number one cause of preventable death in New York state, and worldwide," said TFAC Reality Check lead, Diane Moore. "Since the overwhelming majority of smokers start in their teens, it was great to see so many dedicated youth getting together to take on this important issue and say ‘I AM working to make mine the first tobacco free generation.'"
Activities at the Youth Summit helped the participants creatively plan community events throughout 2017. "In New York State, 7.3 percent of high school students still smoke and the average age of a new smoker is just 13, so we still have a lot of work to do," said Reality Check Summit attendee Shelby Schaeffer of Kingston High School. "After coming to Youth Summit, I know we have the power to make our vision of a tobacco-free generation a reality."
The Youth Summit featured presentations from keynote speaker Shaun Derik. "After seeing so many young people at this conference on fire in the fight against Big Tobacco, I'm inspired, more than ever, to continue my work in effective youth development," said Derik.
Follow the work of Reality Check and learn about future tobacco control events at RealityCheckofNY.com and on social media @RealityCheckofNY.
The New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Tobacco Control funds TFAC-Tobacco Free Action Communities in Ulster, Dutchess and Sullivan to increase support for New York State's tobacco-free norm through youth action and community engagement. Efforts are evidence-based, policy-driven, and cost-effective approaches that decrease youth tobacco use, motivate adult smokers to quit, and eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke. Reality Check is a New York State youth-led, adult supported group that works to counter the deceptive marketing practices of the tobacco industry and the effects of tobacco marketing on youth. TFAC is a program of HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley. Visit www.tobaccofreeactioncommunities.org for more information.
About HealthAlliance, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network
HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley operates a 315-hospital bed healthcare system comprising HealthAlliance Hospital: Mary's Avenue Campus and HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus in Kingston, New York, and Margaretville Hospital in Margaretville, New York. It also operates Mountainside Residential Care Center, an 82-bed facility in Margaretville. As Ulster County's largest employer, HealthAlliance is committed to attracting the best-qualified medical and support staff; providing outstanding, responsive, coordinated, compassionate patient- and family-centered care; excelling in clinical outcomes and patient experiences; and ensuring patient rights, privacy and respect are honored at all times, while improving the overall health and well-being of the diverse communities it serves. For more information about how HealthAlliance is delivering the promise of medicine, visit hahv.org or follow Facebook.com/HealthAllianceHV or Twitter.com/HAllianceHudVal.
About Westchester Medical Center Health Network
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with 10 hospitals on seven campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 12,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. From Level 1, Level 2 and Pediatric Trauma Centers, the region's only acute care children's hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, homecare services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State, today WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated healthcare in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org.
Shaun Derik is a Speaker and Performing Artist. For over 10 years, Shaun Derik, has dedicated his life to helping people, young and old, reconnect with their passion and go after their dreams. For more information visit ShaunDerik.com.
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