Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance

The Tobacco Free Partnership is a county-wide coalition working to improve the health of Hillsborough County residents by reducing tobacco use, preventing tobacco use among youth, reducing exposure to second-hand smoke,as well as educating and advocating on tobacco issues.

Next Meeting:

September 10, 2012 at 3:30 at the University of Tampa, Vaughn Center Room 219

For more information, please contact:

Linzy Wilson at 813-238-4034

Board Chair: Gina Firth
Vice Chair: Nikki Ross-Inda

For Guidelines for School Health Programs to Prevent Tobacco Use and Addiction:

click here

To Join the Tobacco Free Partnership please fill out our membership below:
TOBACCO FREE PARTNERSHIP Membership Form

Recent Activities

On April 17, the Tobacco Free Partnership along with SWAT members presented a candy-flavored resolution to Temple Terrace City Council. The resolution passed unanimously!

SWAT Key Concepts

SWAT’s message is not about health.
SWAT’s message is about Big Tobacco marketing practices and exposing the manipulation of the tobacco industry.
SWAT does not tell anyone how to live their lives – you have enough people doing that already. The message is not about telling youth - “don’t smoke”. Instead, SWAT works to generate awareness about what Big Tobacco does to get a share of the youth market..
There is one enemy, Big Tobacco.
SWAT does not talk down to or “preach” to anyone, including smokers. Smokers are allowed to join SWAT because they are victims of the tobacco industry’s manipulative advertising.
We are a generation UNITED against Big Tobacco.
TRUTH is the message and SWAT is the messenger.
SWAT is the organization that complements the TRUTH Campaign (the commercials on television with which many people are familiar). Students between the ages of 12 and 18 can SWAT join to support the TRUTH Campaign.
SWAT is a youth advocacy group that promotes leadership and community
involvement. SWAT uses these avenues among teens to create awareness
about tobacco.

Contact SWAT Coordinator: Elizabeth Verdejo at everdejohcada@gmail.com for more information

Quotes from the Internal Memos of Various Tobacco Companies and their Employees

"It’s important to know as much about teenage smoking patterns and attitudes. Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer."
Phillip Morris, Inc.
Makers of Marlboro Cigarettes
Internal Memo

"Realistically, if our company is to survive and prosper over the long term, we must get our share of the youth market. In my opinion, this will require new brands tailored to the youth market."
Claude Teague
RJ Reynolds Tobacco
Makers of Camel

"Of course it’s addictive. That’s why you smoke the stuff."
Ross Johnson
RJ Reynolds Tobacco 1994

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