Four local teens attend 2010 reACT Teen Summit

From left to right: Quentin Denton of Ronan, Dylan Francesconi of Plains and Shelby Grant of Ronan attended the 2010 reACT Teen Summit to promote action against tobacco use. Jerry Wachal and Mykah Kittson of Polson (not pictured) also attended. (courtesy photo)

Quinten Denton and Shelby Grant of Ronan and Jerry Wachal and Mykah Kittson of Polson, joined nearly 100 teens from throughout Montana at the reACT Teen Summit to learn effective ways to take action against corporate tobacco companies and their deceitful tactics.

The three-day conference included presentations on how the tobacco industry has targeted teens, exploited the American Indian population, and specifically targeted women, youth and other populations.

reACT is Montana’s youth-led movement dedicated to exposing and opposing the tobacco industry. Its mission is to spread the knowledge that teens are being targeted by corporate tobacco companies and encourage teens to take action against them.

“Our goal is to arm reACT members with the resources they need to educate their peers about corporate tobacco’s deceiving tactics and messages,” said reACT’s Youth Empowerment Coordinator Erin Kintop. “Each year tobacco companies spend billions of dollars marketing their products, making tobacco use appear hip and cool. The tools and skills learned at this conference will help reACTors in communities across the state toughen their fight and get attention.”

In addition, teens chose an issue about which they are interested, learned about the issue and created their own activism. Issues covered at the Summit included new tobacco products, tobacco and the environment, tobacco and the media and tobacco-free schools.

Teen Summit speakers have traveled from all over the country to teach students the tools to effectively fight corporate tobacco in their own schools and communities. The Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program sponsors the reACT Teen Summit and works with the reACT Core Team – the group’s youth advisory group – to plan and coordinate the conference.

For more information on reACT or the 2010 Teen Summit visit www.reactmt.com.