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stand: Giving Kids Facts and Focus

The hand of stand is spreading – on T-shirts and stickers, at schools and around town. The youth-focused initiative is inspiring kids in our region and throughout all of Ohio to “stand up and speak out against tobacco.” Here are updates on how two area stand teams are taking action.

Students at Waite High School Take a Stand

Excitement is contagious and the stand team at Waite High School in Toledo has caught the fever. Using creativity and the recognizable stand hand, the group is stimulating dialog and raising awareness among the school’s 1,100-member student body, as well as its faculty and staff.

Building on the national campaign, the kids are working to “debunkify” the myth that the majority of high school students are tobacco users.

“Based on the fact that 80 percent of Ohioans are non-users, the team’s mantra became 80 percent of Waite high school students are non-smokers, which definitely ‘debinkifies’ that myth,” said Barb Blochowski, stand adult advisor.

Recently, members of the stand team have been contacting state legislators about the tobacco master settlement funds securitization.

“They feel empowered by the opportunity to communicate with our elected public servants,” Blochowski said. “In a recent letter to Ohio Representative Peter Ujvagi [D., District 47], they told him how the stand movement has taught them that they have a voice. Now they know they can make a difference in their community for the common good.”

When the DEBUNKIFY van rolled on to Waite High School’s grounds in April, kids lined up to hear Nannie, a member of the Ohio crew, debunk myths about smoking and tobacco.

Major Event Kicks Butts in Defiance

In March, the Defiance County stand team coordinated a major Kick Butts Day event, collaborating with local community members to make it a big success. Local participants included Defiance College, Defiance County Health Department, Women & Family Services, Tobacco-Free Coalition of Northwest Ohio and a local radio station.

Activities throughout the day included a live radio remote, a visit by Ohio’s DEBUNKIFY van and a luminary ceremony to honor the 1,200 people who die each day in the United States from tobacco-related illnesses.

Established in 2004, the Defiance County stand team meets on a monthly basis to plan events and fun activities such as bowling or going to movies to identify hidden tobacco messages.

For information about the stand and DEBUNKIFY programs for youth, visit standonline.org or debunkify.org.

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