Local Teens to Help Build Movement to Make Tennessee Tobacco-Free
Carthage, Tenn. – The Smith County Health Department is supporting a team of local teens in participating in Tennessee’s first-ever FACT Summit. This statewide tobacco prevention conference for youth will be held July 17-19, 2016 at the Sevierville Convention Center in Sevierville.
“FACT” stands for “Free and Clear Tennessee,” envisioning a state free of tobacco use where everyone enjoys clear air. The FACT Summit is designed to create a youth-led movement of peer-to-peer education and advocacy for prevention of tobacco use with the goal of being Tennessee’s first tobacco-free generation.
“We are excited to provide this opportunity for teens from Smith County to take part in this conference and be empowered to serve as examples of tobacco-free lifestyles and work toward reducing tobacco use and improving health in our community,” said Michael Railling, Smith County Health Department Director.
Teen participants in the FACT Summit have the opportunity to take a leadership role by applying for the new Teen Tobacco-Free Ambassador Program. Teen Ambassadors will be elected by fellow participants at the FACT Summit and will be tasked with leading their peers in tobacco prevention activities across the state and organizing the summit for next year. Applications for the Teen Ambassador Program must be submitted by June 17 and are available online at http://tn.gov/health/topic/fact-summit.
The FACT Summit is supported with funding from the Tennessee Tobacco Settlement program and provided at no cost to participants. Every county in Tennessee has been encouraged to send a team of local students to the conference. Participants will receive training and learn from their peers across the state about how to implement successful tobacco prevention activities in their own communities. Teen participants in the FACT Summit will also earn community service credit toward their Tennessee Promise/TN Achieves requirement.
Partners in the FACT Summit include Healthier Tennessee, the Center for Tobacco Products, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the Truth Initiative®, Unsmokeable, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Tips from Former Smokers campaign and the Shelby County Health Department.
Learn more about the FACT Summit online at www.tn.gov/health/factsummit and on social media at www.facebook.com/TheFactmovement, https://twitter.com/FactSummitTN and www.instagram.com/factsummittn.
FACT Summit 2016
