American Cancer Society Collaborates with Swedish NGO to Raise Tobacco Awareness among Youth

The American Cancer Society has received a grant from the Pfizer Foundation to collaborate with a Stockholm-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) on a program aimed at raising tobacco awareness among youth. SAMBA is a Swedish NGO that advocates for the well-being of children and youth. (The name is an acronym in Swedish for coordinating children and youth.) Following a successful first meeting in April 2009, the Society and SAMBA have been developing a training program tailored to people between the ages of 13 and 23 to develop their capacities as tobacco control advocates. A workshop will take place May 6-9, 2010, in Stockholm to bring together several youth advocates from different organizations throughout Sweden who are committed to the goals of the Dizza Tobak program, an initiative led by SAMBA geared at raising tobacco awareness among youth in Sweden. (Dizza tobak is a slang phrase used by youth that means something like “say no to tobacco.”) The workshop, led by Sylvana Rochet-Belleri, international program manager, Global Health, American Cancer Society, and Holly Aprea, a Society consultant on youth advocacy, will provide participants an opportunity to share experiences, deepen their knowledge of tobacco control, sharpen their spokesperson skills, and hold a youth advocacy public action to attract media coverage. More information on the training program and related activities will be posted in future entries on this blog. Information on the Dizza Tobak program in Swedish can be found at dizzatobak.se.