Join the RAPS Program!
RAPS is a smoking awareness and education program designed to engage young people to take an active role in the prevention of tobacco sales and advertisement, especially to young people through education, advocacy and counter marketing.
The program has three dimensions directed to youth engagement: Information; Education; and Advocacy.
Information: Youth are engaged through after school or out of school time programs to inform their peers, parents, community leaders, and most importantly policy makers on the practices of tobacco manufacturers and local retailers that target young people into smoking or use tobacco products. Tobacco has an individual, family and community story.
Education: Educate and raise awareness of young people, schools personnel, parents and community leaders on the sales and marketing of tobacco products to youth in the community. Using web blogs, email, pictures and text messages to tell the real story of Tobacco and the impacts it has individually and collectively.
Advocacy: One voice has contained the power of national change. Every movement, (i.e. Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, etc.), began in the mind of one individual. Empowering people to recognize the force they hold within to uplift others toward community improvement is the necessary component of “change”. This is advocacy that leads to change.
The Goals of the RAPS Program
Raise Student awareness of tobacco marketing strategies and the need to take action.
- Educate and inform decision makers on tobacco sales to children and retail marketing in the community
- Organize community meetings to educate families on the sales and marketing of tobacco products to children at retail stores
- Organize youth to disseminate information about tobacco
- Develop youth the conduct meetings with key decision makers
- Develop relevant materials on tobacco and the impact it has on community
Today YOU can become a powerful change agent in your community by speaking up. Join the RAPS program!
This project is a joint venture of the RI Department of Health and Raising Hope, Inc.