Star role for anti-tobacco youth group

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, December 1, 2009

By Kathy Chaffin
kchaffin@salisburypost.com
The Rowan County Health Department’s Youth In Action Against Tobacco Council became the first of 60 youth tobacco prevention programs in the state to be recognized as a “TRU Star” by the N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund.
Natalie G. Gray, youth tobacco prevention manager for the health department and advisor to the council, said she checked the www.realityunfiltered.com Web site at about 3 p.m. Monday and saw a group photo of the Rowan council under the “TRU Star” link. She immediately sent the following text message to the 12 Youth in Action Against Tobacco Council members:
“OMG (Oh my gosh). We won recognition for the TRU Stars the Health and Wellness Trust Fund launched. We are on the statewide Web site. Check it out. So proud of the work you all have done.”
The responses she received included: “LOL (Laugh out loud). Wow. OK, going to look at it now. Cool. I’m so excited.”
Text messaging is the mode of communication for the council, Gray said. “They could not believe we had won,” she said. “They know we do a lot of work, and they’re seeing their good works pay off. I’m so proud of them.”
Gray’s supervisor, Dr. Jim Cowan, Allied Health Services director and Healthy Rowan! coordinator, offered his congratulations to the council. “The first tobacco reality unfiltered youth group in the whole state to receive this recognition,” he said, “that’s exceptional.”
The N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund ó which awards the grants for the youth tobacco prevention programs through its Teen Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Initiative ó announced in February that it was going to showcase three of the grant recipients every quarter on its realityunfiltered.com Web site.
Program managers were asked to submit photos, videos or both of what their groups were doing and to respond to six questions from the trust fund.
Gray e-mailed photos of Youth In Action members at some of their youth tobacco prevention activities last year, including the annual Lord Salisbury Earth Day Festival in April, the La Fiesta Festival in September and the Great American Smoke-Out and Holiday Caravan Parade, both held in November.
Members of the Youth In Action Against Tobacco Council are: President Ebony Rivers, a senior at Salisbury High School; Vice President Lamonte Bell, a senior at North Rowan High; Public Relations Chair Tommie Estes, a junior at West Rowan High; Parliamentarian Rashawn Joshua, a sophomore at East High; Savannah Simpson, an eighth-grader at West Rowan Middle;
Ashley Waldrop, a sophomore at West Rowan High; Josh Simpson, a sixth-grader at West Middle; Catherine Thriveni, a junior at Salisbury High; Nate Allman, a seventh-grader at Southeast Middle; Shay Steele, an eighth-grader at West Middle; Kaitlyn Allen, an eighth-grader at West Middle; and Tonya Simpson, parent volunteer.
Gray said the Youth In Action Against Tobacco Council is currently recruiting for new members. The youth lead the meetings and plan and host the events.
“We put the youth out on the front line,” she said.
Youth in Action Against Tobacco members meet the second Monday of each month at various smoke-free restaurants and smoke-free businesses.
Next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., the council will host an “Are You Smarter Than A TRU Teen?” game show at Salisbury Mall for all middle school TRU clubs.
For more information, contact Natalie Gray at 704-216-8849. To learn more about TRU Stars and view photos and background about the Rowan County Youth In Action Against Tobacco Council, log on to www.realityunfiltered.com and click “TRU Stars” in the lower right corner.
Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-4249.