BAKERSVILLE – Three members of Appalachian Youth to Youth from Bowman Middle School addressed the Bakersville Town Council Monday, Feb. 24, to request the Creekwalk playground area be made a “tobacco-free zone.”
“It all started when we did an environmental scan at the Creekwalk playground,” said Samantha Elliott, Youth to Youth member. “There were cigarette butts all around.”
An environmental scan involves walking through and assessing an area to look for opportunities or threats.
The cigarette butts at the playground brought Appalachian Youth to Youth members to the conclusion something needed to be done.
As a group, they researched recommendations for tobacco-free zone specifications, consulted with the Regional Tobacco Control Manager, and worked closely with RHA Tobacco Prevention Specialist Bryan Austin and Youth Team Adviser Terri Leiser to develop a plan.
Youth to Youth members also collected more than 150 signatures from Bowman Middle School students and staff supporting a tobacco-free playground on the Creekwalk.
At the Town Council meeting, the youth explained by designating the playground area as a tobacco-free zone, cigarette butt litter will be significantly reduced, the risk of fires will decrease and children’s exposure to second-hand smoke will be limited.
The Bakersville Town Council agreed to purchase and post appropriate signs to create a 50-foot perimeter around the playground area that will be tobacco-free and to explore drafting an ordinance to ensure playground visitors abide by the signs.
“I would like to express my thanks to the youth who came and addressed the Bakersville Town Council with their concerns of having the Bakersville playground and surrounding 50-foot area designated as a tobacco-free area,” said Charles Vines, mayor of Bakersville.
Youth to Youth member Abigail Phillips said the town council was understanding of what the group was asking.
“They were very interested in working with us to make the playground tobacco-free,” she said.
Appalachian Youth to Youth is an initiative of the Mitchell Yancey Substance Abuse Task Force. It is focused on building youth’s capacity to make a positive change not only in their own lives but also in the lives of their peers, families and the community.
Call Terri Leiser at PATH at 828-682-7899 or visit appyouthtoyouth.org for more information about Appalachian Youth to Youth.