Mission Statement

The mission of re:TH!NK, the Lakeshore Tobacco Prevention Network, is to improve the health of our residents by reducing tobacco use and exposure through prevention strategies which include community outreach and involvement to move policy forward collaboratively, across our multi-jurisdictional area.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Summer Fun with FACT
and the re:TH!NK Youth Coalition


FACT and the re:TH!NK Youth Coalition has been (and will continue to be) busy this summer! Our foucs has been on tobacco prevention and community education. Check out the photos below to see what we've been up to and how YOU can get involved!

World No Tobacco Day Cigarette Butt Clean Up: Menominee Park

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death globally and is currently responsible for 10% of adult deaths worldwide.

May 31 marked World No Tobacco Day 2014. Youth Coalition members decided that a cigarette butt clean up would be a great activity to do on this day. :)

The group met at Menominee Park and picked up cigarette butts and related cigarette litter around Little Oshkosh, the park pathways, boat landings, picnic areas, and along the lake shore by the beach. Pictured below are Ally Molinski, Anna Carpenter (FACT Youth Advisor), Jamie Constantine, and Brenna Root (Youth Coalition Coordinator). Grace Halstead and her mom also helped out but did not make it into the photo. The cigarette butts that were picked up in the park will be added to a display the Youth Coalition will use to educate the community about the importance of tobacco free areas and the environmental impact that cigarette butts have on the environment.

Find out more info about the World Health Organization and World No Tobacco Day across the United States here!



Environmental Scans: A Tobacco Environment Scavenger Hunt

Six youth coalition members took to the streets of Oshkosh and surveyed local convenience stores to find out what types of products the tobacco industry is trying to manipulate youth into buying. The tobacco industry, aka Big Tobacco, spends the majority of their marketing budget in the retail environment to attract new, young users to their products. Youth coalition members did and environmental scan of their community to see how these products are being marketed in Oshkosh. Pictured below are Kaylyn Stanek, Hannah Schacherl, and Branden Udulutch. Ally and Calista Molinski, and Rachel Lee also participated. 

Youth Coalition members found that Big Tobacco companies are placing their deadly products where youth will be exposed to them while shopping at gas stations. One youth member, Ally, was surprised to see the cigarillos in a colorful display right next to the door! Cigarillos are a type of "other tobacco product," OTP, and these products are targeted towards a youth audience with bright colors and fruit flavors. Find out more about Big Tobacco's Manipulicious Products here and play the Spot the Not game with FACT!


Oshkosh Riverwalk Cigarette Butt Clean Up

The re:TH!NK Youth Coalition and FACT teamed up to clean up cigarettes butts along the Oshkosh Riverwalk August. The group picked up cigarette butts and related cigarette litter along Riverwalk. Pictured below are Alex Udulutch, Kiersten Tosch, Sara Matuszak, Ally Molinski, and Jamie Constantine. Brenna Root (Youth Coalition Coordinator) also helped out but did not make it into the photo because she was taking it. :) The cigarette butts that were picked up in the park will be added to a display the Youth Coalition will use to educate the community about the importance of tobacco free areas and the environmental impact that cigarette butts have on the environment. 



More Exciting Upcoming Events!

Pollock Pool FACTivism
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
12-2pm

Youth Coalition Meetings
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
New Moon Cafe, Oshkosh

For more information and if you'd like to get involved with FACT and the re:TH!NK Youth Coalition, contact Brenna Root at broot@co.winnebago.wi.us

Blog written by Brenna Root - originally on http://rethinkwinnebago.blogspot.com/