News and Events
Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) in Columbia County Reflect on an Impactful Year
June 6, 2016
After another successful school year has winded down we asked local Students Working Against Tobacco club members to reflect on the school year, what they had accomplished and the impact they had. Students from Lake City Middle School and FT. White Middle School shared their thoughts below:
We have participated in many activities this year in school and out of school. We typically meet on Friday mornings and discuss tobacco related topics. We make posters for awareness around our school, we led Red Ribbon Week, and we do hands-on activities to understand the negative effects of tobacco. We also have participated in SWAT activities in the community. Some of these include marching in parades and going to city council meetings. Towards the middle of the year, we received a proclamation for Through with the Chew Week. A few months after that, we received another proclamation at a County Commissioner’s Board meeting for Tobacco Free Florida Week. My experience as a SWAT member has been a lot of fun and I cannot wait to do more to make Columbia County tobacco free. Nolan Williams |
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I joined SWAT so I could learn how dangerous tobacco can be and what it can do to your body. I wanted others to know about tobacco so they will stay away. During Red Ribbon Week, we tied ribbons around the poles on the sidewalk and put educational posters up in the halls. Lots of students took oaths during that week, promising that they would stay away from drugs and tobacco. SWAT wants others to be informed, and I had a great time making sure that the students knew about our message. Our motto was "Too Smart To Start." Anelise Bullard |
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The 2015-2016 saw SWAT clubs active at three middle schools and one high school, the Columbia County Tobacco Prevention Program hopes to expand the program to more schools in the 2016-2017 school year.
