Statistics shows that every thirteen seconds, someone dies from tobacco use and every day 3000 young people become regular smokers. Preventing tobacco use is more effective than helping smokers quit once they have become addicted to nicotine and saves taxpayers money in Medicaid costs.

The Pike County Tobacco Free Coalition received a $6,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Tobacco Prevention Network, funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for the period of August 2001 to December 2001. This allowed a Youth Education Coordinator to continue her efforts and implement the following:

Four DVHS students attended a leadership summit sponsored by the American Cancer Society and applied for a $300 grant to develop and implement Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) Tackles Tobacco, a one-day presentation. Approximately 1,026 DVHS physical education students participated in this event. Five interactive stations were developed to help students understand the effects of smoking and the way tobacco companies manipulate consumers.

A training for 44 Delaware Valley High School students in the TATU program was also held. These students developed tobacco free presentations using skits, games, songs and role playing to convey the tobacco free message to approximately 1,000 elementary school students in grades 2-5. Presentations were also made to two after school programs with approximately 35 children in grades 1-5.

Wallenpaupack Area High School began its TATU program in April 2002 with a Coalition sponsored training of approximately 30 students. TATU will be incorporated into their mentor program - a program already in place - in which high school students regularly visit elementary school classrooms to provide information about tobacco, alcohol, violence and drug use.

Delaware Valley School Students received TATU (Teens Against Tobacco Use)
Training and took their "Show on the road" to area Elementary Schools.

The Pike County Cooperative Extension and the Tobacco Free Coalition applied to their Primary Contractor (Carbon, Monroe, Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission) and received over $60,000 to implement youth and adult programs over the next 3 years. This money has allowed the local cooperative extension to hire 2 people — 1 youth educator and 1 community health educator. Program areas that will be targeted include Community Based Programs, Chronic Disease, School Programs, Enforcement, and Cessation.

Middle grade students are a group vulnerable to social influences but not yet heavy users of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, or other drugs. Assumptions are that adolescents begin to use drugs primarily because of social influences and because they want to emulate behavior they view as mature and independent.

Extension and Schools Enhancing Life Skills (EXSELS), is a collaboration with Delaware Valley, Pike County Cooperative Extension (CE), and Penn State researchers. The Project ALERT drug prevention curriculum was offered to 7th- and 8th-grade students in two different ways: (1) by a qualified adult leader from the community working through CE; and (2) by the adult leader assisted by teen leaders from the local high school.

Over 100 7th-grade students at Delaware Valley received the Project ALERT curriculum and approximately 120 8th-grade students received the Project ALERT booster curriculum (all adult-led).

An extensive program evaluation is being conducted over the 4 years with students that participate in the project. However, given the multi-year nature of the program and its evaluation, results at this point are preliminary. There is evidence, however, for the 8 schools combined that, compared to students who did not have the curriculum, students who participated in the 3-month Project ALERT program in 7th grade during the last 2 years were (statistically) significantly more likely to believe that:

• using cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana every weekend can lead to addiction
  
  
• their peers would not approve of their use of cigarettes and alcohol
  
  
• there are negative social consequences of cigarette use
  
  
• peers will respect them if they refuse to smoke cigarettes
  
  
• fewer of their peers are using cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana
  
  
• they could refuse pressures to drink alcohol
  

These results are encouraging, especially after just a 3-month curriculum, since previous research has found that youth who report these beliefs are less likely to use substances. More extensive evaluation results will be available as the project continues.