SQUADS: Youth-Led Tobacco Control, Prevention, and Advocacy
Youth advocacy is an essential part of a comprehensive tobacco prevention and control effort. The
SQUADS model provides adults with the information to teach and empower young people to be leaders in youth advocacy. Young people learn how they can reduce access to tobacco products and limit the appeal of tobacco products to children. They are taught a step-by-step process to assess tobacco control issues in their community, analyze data, prioritize concerns, build relationships with community leaders, and communicate with local media. Based on the problems identified within their community, youth choose the tobacco control issues they want to impact and then develop an action plan to address the problems.
Through an Intensive 2-Day Training Seminar, Learn Valuable Skills to Start the SQUADS Program Immediately. Learn How to:
- Use the SQUADS facilitator's guide to form a group to take local action against pro-tobacco social norms
- Describe the theory of social/environmental norm change
- Identify pro-tobacco policies and practices within the community and possible solutions
- Identify the benefits of focusing on tobacco industry practices in addressing youth tobacco use
- List ways that pro-tobacco social norms encourage youth use, allow users to continue to use, and encourage quitters to return to tobacco addiction
- Identify the benefits of a program based on youth development principles
- Identify the roles of an effective adult leader in a youth-led program
- dentify the barriers and solutions to the challenges of recruiting and retaining youth in tobacco advocacy work
- List the benefits to youth and community that are the result of youth-led tobacco prevention initiatives
- Identify youth-led intervention strategies for each of the following problems: access, advertising, advocacy, and education
- Generate and analyze the effectiveness of program ideas and strategies in youth access, advertising, advocacy, and education
Attend This Seminar if You Are:
- A member of a state or community tobacco prevention coalition
- An adult leader of a school "tobacco action" team
- A TUPE coordinator or other tobacco prevention advocate
- A student assistance professional
- A school or public health educator
- A school, public health, or clinical nurse
- An American Cancer, Lung, or Heart Association volunteer
- An extension agent
- A youth leader
- A member of another community based organization
When/Where
SQUADS is not currently scheduled in a central location for general attendance. However, we invite you to
sponsor a seminar in your own area.
