Breathe Well seeks teens for local chapter of Resist Council

Ninety percent of adult smokers begin smoking at or before the age of 18, and more than 150,000 new underage daily smokers start smoking every year in the U.S., one third of which will die prematurely from smoking.

Hope Harmon and the Breathe Well Task Force, of Live Well Crawford County, are seeking area youth interested in making a difference to combat those statistics locally by forming a chapter of Resist.

Resist works to counteract tobacco influences on Kansas’ youth by striving to change the way people think about tobacco by making it less acceptable and less accessible. 

Resist members advocate to strengthen tobacco policies that affect how tobacco is sold, where it can be marketed, and where it can be used. Resist members participate in activities such as community education and engagement, state wide events, data collection and media advocacy. 

Resist State Youth Council is the guiding body for the Resist movement. A council comprised of 10 to 15 youth, ages 13-18 (grades 8-12), it includes representatives from each region of Kansas.

Youth interested in being a tobacco control leader in Crawford County communities, youth who want to prevent their peers from using tobacco, and youth who want to make a positive impact on others are the kinds of youth Harmon seeks.

Those interested in joining local chapters of Resist may contact Harmon, who works at the Crawford County Health Department, at 620-231-3200. A meeting place and time will be determined by the students themselves.

On Feb. 27, Jordan Roberts, a representative of RESIST, will speak to the Pittsburg City Youth Council from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Beard-Shanks Law Enforcement Center.  

​Details: resisttobacco.org