What is reACT?
reACT! Against Corporate Tobacco is Montana’s teen-led movement against the tobacco industry. Funded and staffed by the Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program, reACT joins statewide youth empowerment movements across the country in recognizing the power of young people to effectively take on one of our leading preventable causes of death--tobacco use. In a nutshell, reACT is media literacy, peer education, and grassroots advocacy all rolled into one!
What are the key messages of reACT?
- Tobacco companies spend billions of dollars marketing to youth, since they need to replace the over 400,000 customers that die annually. And it works--most tobacco users report starting in their teens.
- Since teens are being targeted, it is the mission of reACT to spread the knowledge that it’s happening, and encourage teens to take action against it!
- reACT is against corporate tobacco- tobacco which is marketed and sold with the intent of addiction and profit. reACT understands and respects this distinction from ceremonial or traditional tobacco, which is sacred in the Native American community.
- reACT is not against those who use tobacco, but rather, the industry that promotes, addicts, and profits from it. reACT aims to denormalize and deglamorize tobacco.
Why reACT?
- Many teens have somewhat of an ‘immortality complex’- they don’t believe tobacco will harm them, or think that they can quit before addiction or harm occurs. Therefore, traditional health messaging regarding tobacco often doesn’t resonate with them.
- Teens, with a little adult guidance, know what types of messaging and activities work best for their peers.
- Teens hate to feel manipulated or taken advantage of! When tobacco prevention is presented within the youth empowerment framework, it often inspires them to action.
- Youth love creative expression/rebellion, and youth empowerment movements such as reACT give them a structured, safe and meaningful way to be involved in such efforts.
- A ‘branded’ movement will increase the continuity of programming activities in tobacco prevention across Montana, and also give involved teens a common bond statewide.
The five educational components of reACT are:
Education - Activism - Art - Branding - Media
Mark your calendars for the next reACT summit:
June 17-20, 2008
University of Montana Missoula, MT
June 24-27, 2007 reACT! Against Corporate Tobacco Teen Summit
Carroll College Helena, MT
For more information contact reACT at:
Or
Erin Kintop- Youth Empowerment Coordinator(406) 444-7896
- Grassroots promotion, training and recruitment
- Resource development
- reACT Core Team oversight
- Youth media approval
Page last updated 12/19/2007
