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The mission

of the American Lung Association is to prevent lung disease and promote lung health.

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T.A.T.U. is sponsored by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health Division of Tobacco Prevention

Teens Against Tobacco Use ® (T.A.T.U.) is a youth empowerment program teaching teens to fight back against tobacco use. Essentially, we turn teens into teachers. Recent focus groups have shown that teens are eager to talk to younger kids about tobacco use. Younger children are impressed by teenage role models and enthusiastically understand and accept the information which they are presented. By encouraging & supporting the T.A.T.U. program in your school, you will be making a huge step in preventing today's youth from becoming tomorrow's tobacco users. T.A.T.U. is also the approved tobacco prevention education training for Raze, the statewide, youth led, prevention movement sponsored by the Division of Tobacco Prevention.

T.A.T.U. Mission & Goals

The overall goal of T.A.T.U .is to help our youth remain tobacco free. Teen facilitators also gain experience and skills that will help them in a wide range of adult activities. T.A.T.U. concentrates on the following five components designed to prevent tobacco use. As teachers, teens will:

Develop skills to teach younger children about tobacco use and to become advocates for a tobacco-free community.
Understand and identify the positive aspects of being tobacco-free and realize that the majority of teens and adults do NOT smoke.
Understand how tobacco advertising and promotions deceive youth.
Understand how getting hooked on tobacco destroys youth's freedom and control over their personal lives.
Develop self-confidence.

How T.A.T.U. Works

This program has four phases: training of adults, training of teens, teens teaching younger children and teens getting involved in community action. Key highlights include:

Adult Facilitator Training: American Lung Association trains adults in a one-day workshop to provide skills, program guidance and certification.
Teen Workshops: Certified adult facilitators recruit teens and conduct a teen training (minimum of six hours recommended).
Teen Teaching: Teens, as teachers and role models, present tobacco prevention messages they develop to younger children (e.g. elementary grades (4-6).
Community Action: Teens work independently or with local coalitions on compliance, youth access, clean indoor air regulations, etc.

T.A.T.U. Facilitator Trainings Are Free

When you volunteer to become a T.A.T.U. coordinator, facilitator, or both, you will attend an all day training session for adults. Sessions are about 7 hours long, beginning with registration and concluding with an evaluation of the training session. Lunch is provided. During this fast paced and fun training session you will learn to deliver the T.A.T.U. program to teens in your community. Facilitators who manage the program must be skilled and able to relate to teens so they can effectively train them to work with younger children. Trainings also include discussion of the linkages between T.A.T.U. and Raze. The T.A.T.U. experience should be fun and positive for everyone involved.

2007 Training Schedule

Scheduled training dates are listed below. If you are interested in the T.A.T.U. program and would like a training scheduled in your area, please call Patty Hughes at 1.800.LUNG.USA.

Please contact your Regional Tobacco Prevention Specialist for training opportunities

Refresher/Update Training

Are you a T.A.T.U. facilitator that is not currently supporting a group because you just don't feel comfortable with your skill level? Do you need a little boost or a refresher to update your tobacco knowledge or facilitation skills? We have developed short, one-half day update workshops in both our T.A.T.U. and N-O-T youth prevention and cessation programs for that purpose. If you would be interested in a refresher for T.A.T.U. contact Patty. For N-O-T refresher training, contact TONY.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR OUR FREE TRAININGS: To register, please call Patty Hughes at 1.800.LUNG.USA or submit your registration by providing your name, mailing address, telephone number, email address and training location on the form below.

ATTENTION FACILITATORS: Visit our Facilitator Resource Page for help implementing T.A.T.U. in your schools or communities.

The West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention wanted to create a statewide youth anti-tobacco movement that initiates concern and activism, with peer-to-peer influence ultimately reducing tobacco use among teens. Raze was borne of that desire. Raze serves as a brand and an umbrella under which T.A.T.U. and other existing groups are linked to one purpose. Raze crews conduct commotions, much like T.A.T.U. groups conduct activities and presentations to younger kids with an anti-tobacco message. We encourage all youth interested in fighting big tobacco become involved with Raze. To learn more, or to sign up, click on the Raze Logo above or HERE.

Please send any comments or questions regarding the TATU Program

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