Indian River County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Clubs Begin Their Projects for the 2013-2014 School Year
Fall 2013

With the start of the new school year, the Students Working Against Tobacco program in Indian River County is back in action!

We are excited to have a new SWAT Club at Vero Beach High School.  This new club, a partnership between Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and SWAT, started out in October by walking in their Homecoming Parade. Just a week later, the club participated in the City of Vero Beach Halloween Parade.  During the Halloween parade Vero Beach high school and Oslo middle school SWAT had fun walking together. Students wore their SWAT t-shirts, carried the SWAT banner, gave out candy with colorful reminders of the School District’s tobacco free policy.

Halloween Parade

The Oslo Middle School SWAT club hit the ground running on their school campus as well. One of their early activities was to share their message to peers on campus during a “Not a Replacement” activity. Students drew chalk crime scene figures that symbolized victims of tobacco use. Oslo Middle School students learned how tobacco companies need them to replace the hundreds of thousands of tobacco users who die each year.  SWAT members were able to spread the message to students, teachers and visitors to campus. They insist their generation resist and say “I am NOT a Replacement”.

Not a Replacement

SWAT is Florida's statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. SWAT is a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future. SWAT is part of the statewide Tobacco Free Florida program.

For more information on youth tobacco prevention efforts in Indian River County, including SWAT, please contact Leslie Spurlock at lspurlock@quitdoc.com.