STUDENTS WORKING AGAINST TOBACCO

In 1998, the late Governor Lawton Chiles and the State of Florida sued the tobacco industry due to increasing Medicaid expenses caused by tobacco related diseases among Floridians.  The nationally and internationally renowned SWAT program was a major outcome of the lawsuit.  Youth throughout the State of Florida have joined together in a relentless fight against the tobacco industry and its manipulation and targeting of youth to use their product.  Learn about SWAT on www.gen-swat.com.

Five Regional Tobacco Prevention Coordinators (RTPCs) (pdf-30kb) oversee youth tobacco prevention and control programs across the five multi-county regions of the state.  The regions range in size from seven to 16 counties.  RTPCs are the point of contact for youth anti-tobacco advocates in the regions, serve as resources for SWAT chapters, and assist with training youth leaders and adult SWAT advisors.  They act as community tobacco prevention and control experts, serve as liaisons with county health departments and community organizations, and maintain a presence for tobacco prevention on boards and councils within their designated regions.