Building Community Connections Through SWAT

Before the start of a Family Movie Night at one of our faith-based SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) club locations, I had an opportunity to speak with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other members of the community about what SWAT is and what we are trying to accomplish with our youth.

We are always looking for opportunities to grow our clubs and reach new families, so having this group together gave me a chance to introduce the program to people who may not have heard about SWAT before. I explained that what we do is about much more than just telling kids not to smoke or vape. We want to give youth the information and tools they need to understand things like nicotine addiction, peer pressure, electronic vapor products, and the ways tobacco companies market to young people. The goal is to prepare them to recognize these obstacles and be able to make informed decisions for themselves.

I also talked about the different ways our youth get involved in the community. Through SWAT, they have opportunities to participate in local events, volunteer, educate others, and build their confidence speaking with people in their community. For youth who are interested in advocacy, we can also give them opportunities to learn how local government and the policymaking process work and how they can engage with local leaders on issues that matter to them.

After explaining the program, I opened the conversation up for questions. That was an important part of the discussion because it allowed families to ask about the program and better understand what their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or other young people in their lives could actually gain from participating.

For me, the biggest benefit was being able to have that conversation directly with the adults who help guide these young people. Even if every person in the room does not have a child who joins SWAT, they now know what the program is, what we offer, and can share that information with other families in the community.