Students Empowered To Take Action Against Tobacco Use

http://youtu.be/ViKql2CZum8

The DuPage County Health Department has partnered with local students to empower them to take a stand against tobacco use through the Reality Illinois Program.

Reality Illinois is a statewide grant-funded tobacco prevention and teen advocacy program created by and for Illinois teens with support from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the DuPage County Health Department. Reality teens across Illinois work to spread the word about tobacco industry manipulation, secondhand smoke and tobacco use in their community. The Reality Illinois DuPage Teen Advisory Panels (TAPs) plan activities and events to promote and advocate for change on a local level, specifically with smoke-free park policies.

To promote the prevention of teen tobacco use and dangers of secondhand smoke, the Glenbard West Reality IL/Students for Students group created a short film to promote the motto: “What if Cigarettes Were Replaced with Bubbles?” Their mission for the film was to physically show how many people are affected by cigarette smoke and how far it can travel. The film was created and directed by Glenbard West student Melanie Pangalilingan, who also gathered a group of Reality members who blew bubbles during the Homecoming Parade to bring awareness to the campaign.