What is this all about?

The Youth Empowerment in Action! Tobacco Education, Advocacy and Media (YEA! TEAM) program is a research-based, service-learning program that integrates tobacco education, media literacy, and civic engagement.

YEA!TEAM was developed and piloted by the University of Missouri, St. Louis, College of Education, Center for Character and Citizenship with funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health. YEA! TEAM is one of several school-based anti-tobacco programs currently supported by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

What is in this for me?

This program is for you, the YOUTH of Missouri, to fight back against the companies that promote that nasty habit known as cigarette smoking. We're giving you the microphone and you're letting them know what you think. Twenty schools participated in our Spring 2008 kickoff program and we now have 10 of their videos playing throughout the state on cable TV. On top of that, select students from every participating school recieved Apple Ipods for kicking tobacco industry butt with their slogans. Your slogan choice 'Show Me Smoke Free' is now the domain name of this website. We want to hear what you think about tobacco, and we're not going to stop until your voices are heard.

Last year, we worked with twenty schools in southeast Missouri. Check out some of these winning slogans:

• "To Smoke Or Not To Smoke, It's Not Even A Question"
  -Campbell High School
• "Don't Get Addicted To This Deadly Habit, Take That Cigarette And Straight Up Snap It!"
  -Holcomb Senior High
• "Don't Be A Wacko, Stamp Out Tobacco"
  -Senath-Hornersville Senior High
• "Some Butts Are Worth Dying For But Not These"
  -Southland
• "Let's Take The Teen Out Of Nicotine"
  -Arcadia Valley High
• "Smoke's No Joke"
  -New Madrid County
• Tobacco: The Day And Nighttime Teeth Staining, Cancer Causing, Bad Smelling, Make You Look 20 Years Older...Medicine"
  -Puxico High School
• "Bear Up Against Tobacco"
  -Greenville High
• "Don't Dip, You Won't Have A Lip"
  -Chaffee High School