Straight Up lends its advocacy efforts to tobacco prevention

Straight Up and its tireless volunteers have been in overdrive for the past few months, creating videos and presentations, spreading advocacy, and making social change all throughout Ventura County. Here’s another project they’ve been involved with: Tobacco Retail Licensing Advocacy.

Tobacco Retail Licensing Advocacy Project

Straight Up teamed up with VCPH’s Tobacco Education Program to collaborate with and train youth volunteers for two presentations in May — one to the Ventura County Board of Education’s meeting, and one to Ventura’s City Council meeting. This group of concerned youth asked for local support of efforts to promote tobacco retail licensing for businesses in Ventura.

Youth volunteers helped to create the visuals for the display and video parts of the presentation, and several prepared speeches to bring to the Board and Council meetings.

Lucas, Eric and Mitchell photograph and video tobacco use, litter and advertising in downtown Ventura.

Alie reviews artwork created by Balboa Middle School students for inclusion in the presentation, as well as for printed postcards used for distribution.

Lucas, Alie, and Haydence rehearse their speeches during a “Speaking to Elected Officials” workshop at CAPS-TV.

Haydence, Joe, and Alie pose in front of the display board they helped to create, after their presentation to the Ventura City Council at City Hall, May 2012.

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The accompanying video, created in collaboration with youth, that was shown to School Board members, Ventura City Council, and aired on CAPS-TV.

And onward…

This summer, young volunteers are hard at work completing videos, writing for the Straight Up blog, and planning events. Contact Straight Up if you’d like to get involved!