SAFE Glen Cove Coalition: World No Tobacco Day 2023

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is an annual national event that informs the public about the dangers of tobacco use. SAFE and their Community Partner, Tobacco Action Coalition of LI, Community Engagement Specialist Carol Meschkow have been collaborating with the Glen Cove Youth Bureau-Executive Director- Spiro Tsirkas, After 3 Life Skills Facilitator, Monica Salinas and Ms. Amanda Sullivan, Middle School Health Education teacher every May for this event. The partners have been bringing youth centered programs to the schools to educate and encourage teens to make their collective voices heard against the Tobacco Industries deceptive messages in their marketing campaigns. Scientific evidence demonstrates that tobacco companies advertising promotes and influences young people to start using tobacco products.

This year, the Glen Cove Middle School students enrolled in SAFE’s Life Skills Training (LST) program with Facilitator- Ms. Salinas and students enrolled in Mrs. Sullivan’s Middle School Health Education classes celebrated the day with a program building on the 2023 World Health Organization’s (WHO) theme to grow food to help people and the environment, not hurt them with tobacco plantings.

Building upon the Partnerships efforts towards advancing a Tobacco Free City and the State's Tobacco Free Outdoor Campaign the Partnership worked on a curriculum that included: teaching the history of WNTD, the environmental impacts of tobacco and vape liter on our natural resources, marine, fowl and wildlife and domestic pets. Even curious toddlers who often pick up and eat tobacco waste and are poisoned by its toxic ingredients. The fact that the waste is not biodegradable results in toxins being absorbed into our ground water, and a temptation to the aforementioned groups to eat and suffer the dire consequences of this waste. The dangers of smoking all tobacco products including menthol which is the preferred flavor for more than half of the youth ages 12-17 were covered.

In keeping with the WHO’s theme the lesson plan stressed how focusing on growing food promotes healthy lifestyle choices and doing something positive and healthy other than using or growing tobacco plantings. The day concluded with an interactive activity that engaged all the youths in potting and planting seeds and charging the teens to encourage their peers to be guardians of their environment and to avoid use of all combustible and vaped products.

At the end of the school year the proud teens will take their individual Potts home with labels “Live SAFE Be Tobacco Free”.

For help Quitting smoking or vaping or to help a loved one beat a Nicotine Addition please visit the American Lung Association on their Website at: www.american lung.org. “The American Lung Association says the only thing that should go into your lungs is clean air, so if you’re inhaling anything, it could potentially be toxic to your lungs! The New York State Smokers’ Quitline assists thousands of New Yorkers every year in their attempts to break free from smoking and other tobacco and the service is free and confidential. Call 1-866-NYQUITS (1-866-697-8487) or visit them at: https://www.nysmokefree.com/.for Quit Help.

SAFE, Inc. is the only alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention, and education agency in the City of Glen Cove. The Coalition is concerned about all combustible and electronic products with marijuana and tobacco and is employing environmental strategies to educate and update the community regarding the negative consequences in collaboration with Carol Meschkow, Manager- Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow www.facebook.com/safeglencovec... or to learn more about electronic products visit the Vaping Facts and Myths Page of SAFE’s website to learn more about how vaping is detrimental to your health www.safeglencove.org.