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Teens reACT Against Corporate Tobacco at State High School Rodeo Finals in Bozeman
Tobacco-fighting teens joined together at the Montana High School Rodeo Finals on June 9–13 as the final event of the reACT Tobacco-Free Rodeo Series. The reACT Tobacco-Free Rodeo Campaign honored Montana's best high school rodeo competitors who have pledged to live a tobacco-free lifestyle. Competitors work to stop the influence of Corporate Tobacco in Montana.
At the championship event, teens from the reACT program were on-hand to facilitate activities and educate rodeo rodeo participants about Corporate Tobacco. reACT members ran activism sessions and encouraged other students to sign a pledge committing to be tobacco free. In addition, reACT awarded $500 scholarships to rodeo athletes who pledged to remain tobacco-free at the finals.
2010 reACT Teen Summit Huge Success
Over 100 teens from across Montana came to Helena for reACT's most exciting event of the year, the reACT Teen Summit! Attendees learned more about the tobacco industry, met new people and enjoyed the rodeo theme! This year's Summitwas held on June 21-24. Keep checking back to see pictures and videos from the event here.
Were you born to lead?
reACT Against Corporate Tobacco is looking for new reACT Core Team (rCT) members for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year! The rCT is an advisory board that leads the reACT movement to educate Montanans about the deceptive tactics of corporate tobacco and motivates teens to take action. As part of the rCT, you'll receive in-depth training about media, corporate tobacco, public speaking, leading meetings and much more! Meet new friends and become an important part of the reACT movement.
Click here for an application. All applications are due by July 23, 2010. Click here to view application timeline. Be sure to pass around this flyer too!
2010 reACT Campaign Coming This Fall
Want a sneak peek at the upcoming reACT Campaign? Click here to see some photos from the campaign that will be coming soon!
In the News: Decline in Smoking Rates Among High School Students Slowing
By Steven Reinberg
Health Day Reporter
06/08/10
The decline in the number of U.S. high school students who smoke has slowed significantly, following dramatic drops starting in the late 1990s, according to a new federal report.
Twenty percent of high school students still smoke, making it impossible to reach the 2010 national goal of reducing cigarette use among teens to 16 percent or less, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
"The rate of change started slowing in 2003, and in some groups of students has totally stopped and is almost not declining at all," noted lead study author Terry F. Pechacek, associate director for science at the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health.
"The only group in which we are seeing a decline is in African-American females," he added.
Also, states have significantly cut their budgets for tobacco education and cessation programs, Pechacek said. And the tobacco industry continues to aggressively target teenagers, he said, adding, "The industry has been left with the only voice out there with their $12 billion campaign."
Pechacek said there needs to be renewed emphasis on getting teens not to smoke. "We've got a new opportunity with the FDA legislation [which gives the agency oversight over the tobacco industry] and the ability it gives the community to do more about restricting advertising, promotion and availability of tobacco products," he said.
That effort needs to be combined with stronger anti-smoking programs, including smoke-free laws and increases in cigarette taxes, Pechacek said. "The ability to shut off the inflow of new smokers is critical," he said. "The fact that we have had a stall has dramatic implications for the future. Millions of more youth are going to become addicted and one in three of them are going to die prematurely."