What Is reACT
reACT! Against Corporate Tobacco is
Montana’s teen-led movement against the tobacco
industry. Funded and staffed by the Montana Tobacco Use
Prevention Program, reACT joins statewide youth
empowerment movements across the country in recognizing
the power of young people to effectively take on one of
our leading preventable causes of death--tobacco use. In a
nutshell, reACT is media literacy, peer
education, and grassroots advocacy all rolled into one!
What are the key messages of reACT?
- Tobacco companies spend
billions of dollars marketing to youth, since they
need to replace the over 400,000 customers that die
annually. And it works--most tobacco users report
starting in their teens.
- Since teens are being
targeted, it is the mission of reACT to
spread the knowledge that it’s happening, and
encourage teens to take action against it!
- reACT is against
corporate tobacco- tobacco which is marketed and sold
with the intent of addiction and profit. reACT
understands and respects this distinction from
ceremonial or traditional tobacco, which is sacred in
the Native American community.
- reACT is not against
those who use tobacco, but rather, the industry that
promotes, addicts, and profits from it. reACT
aims to denormalize and deglamorize tobacco.
Why reACT?
- Many teens have somewhat of an
‘immortality complex’- they don’t believe
tobacco will harm them, or think that they can quit
before addiction or harm occurs. Therefore,
traditional health messaging regarding tobacco often
doesn’t resonate with them.
- Teens, with a little adult
guidance, know what types of messaging and activities
work best for their peers.
- Teens hate to feel manipulated
or taken advantage of! When tobacco prevention is
presented within the youth empowerment framework, it
often inspires them to action.
- Youth love creative
expression/rebellion, and youth empowerment movements
such as reACT give them a structured, safe
and meaningful way to be involved in such efforts.
- A ‘branded’ movement will
increase the continuity of programming activities in
tobacco prevention across Montana, and also give
involved teens a common bond statewide.
The five
educational components of reACT are:
Education
- Activism - Art - Branding – Media
____________________________________________
Join us
at Celebration On The Hill 2009!
We’ve
got a lot to celebrate – and a lot to say!
Take
a stand with reACT
and get the chance to speak out against Corporate Tobacco
with your local decision makers. We’ll close the day
with a party to celebrate – the right to breath
smokefree air, three years of reACT and decision
makers supporting reACT efforts.
When:
January 27, 2009
Where:
State Capitol
________________________________________
Mark
your calendars for the next reACT Summit
When:
June 2009
Where:
TBA
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