Teens tackle secondhand smoke

The SWAT team rallies in Belleair to devise antitobacco strategies. The summit brings together about 400 youths from across the state.

By LORRI HELFAND, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published June 22, 2002

BELLEAIR -- Teens are affected by secondhand smoke even if they never light up.

That's why SWAT -- Students Working Against Tobacco -- has taken on secondhand smoke as its campaign for 2002.

The group launched the campaign this week at the fifth annual Teen Tobacco Summit at the Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa.

The summit brought together 400 teens from throughout the state to brainstorm on how to take their message back to their communities.

At the summit, which started Wednesday and concludes today, students chose from among several areas: public relations, creativity, diversity and empowerment. Students attended workshops targeted to their interests. They heard from legislators, health educators and other experts in hopes of learning how to spread the antitobacco message.

"We really got a chance to do something and what a cause, stopping the most preventable deaths in the world," said Brian Cody, Suwannee County representative.

SWAT is a youth-led antitobacco advocacy group that formed in 1998 after Florida won a landmark case against the tobacco companies. The program is funded by the $11-billion settlement, which was later renegotiated to $13-billion.

Cathy Molenda, 17, Pinellas County's SWAT representative, said she was attracted to the group from the beginning because it shows that teens have the power to make a difference.

"It was kind of interesting because the adults were letting us make all the decisions," said the recent Palm Harbor University High School graduate.

Molenda said her father is a smoker. Like others at the summit, she considers smoking an addiction fostered by the manipulation of tobacco companies.

"We don't tell kids 'No' -- it doesn't work," said Cody, who is 18. "Tobacco companies are throwing billions of dollars in your face to trick you into killing yourself.

"We're educating kids to make their own decisions."

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