Ventura County Teens to Join Forces Against Tobacco
Local Students Get Firsthand Insight about the Risks of Vaping and Other Tobacco Products

Media coverage is invited next week as middle and high school students from across Ventura County come together for the 21^st annual “Teens Kick Ash” Youth Tobacco-Free Advocacy Conference. This conference will give young people the opportunity to further develop their advocacy skills against tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery devices (vaping).

This year, Dr. Matt Bellace, neuropsychologist, author, and part-time stand-up comedian, will be speaking about the developing adolescent brain and how substance use (especially nicotine) during the teen years can lead to long-lasting, detrimental changes. Students will also attend workshops where they’ll learn to counteract the tobacco and vaping industries’ efforts to market their products to young people.

WHAT: 21^st  Annual Teens Kick Ash Youth Tobacco-Free Advocacy Conference

WHEN: Wednesday, February 20, 2019 (middle school session) and Thursday, February 21, 2019 (high school session). Event runs 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. both days.

WHERE: VCOE Conference and Educational Services Center - 5100 Adolfo Road, Camarillo, CA 93012

RSVP: Please contact Dave Schermer at dschermer@vcoe.org or 805-383-1922 if you would like to cover the event.

Teens Kick Ash intends to develop the next generation of tobacco-free advocates. Through hands-on training and teambuilding activities, students will learn facts about tobacco and vaping-related health risks. They will also learn presentation and advocacy skills that will help them produce anti-tobacco and vaping campaigns for their schools and communities. The conference will teach students about nicotine addiction and the industry’s marketing strategies to attract young people. The conference is presented annually by the Ventura County Office of Education’s department of Comprehensive Health and Prevention Programs.

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About the Ventura County Office of Education

The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at: www.vcoe.org.