TOBACCOFREE/NEWBORN INSPIRES SISTER'S WINNING VIDEO FOR THE TOBACCO FREE SPEECH CONTEST
Tallahassee, FL – Tobacco Free Florida recently announced Morgan Bull of Tallahassee, as the winner of the Tobacco Free Speech Video Contest. As a member of the Montford Middle School SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) program, Bull turned to her fellow students for help on this video.
In the video, eleven members of SWAT declare why they choose to be tobacco free. Their rationale ranges from avoidance of second-hand smoke and death to more personal reasons like a grandfather who is now suffering from emphysema and aspirations to become a doctor.
The recent addition to the Bull family has provided the inspiration for Morgan to live a tobacco free lifestyle. Bull says she wants to be tobacco free because “I want to be a good role model for my sister.” Peer pressure leads many of Morgan’s classmates to begin smoking and she wants to help her little sister to have the confidence and knowledge to avoid tobacco use.
Vincent Irving, Leon County SWAT Coordinator, was thrilled to see the winning video was from his SWAT group. Truly proud of his team’s hard work and dedication, Irving said, “Morgan Bull's determination of stopping her peers from being manipulated by the tobacco companies truly show in this outstanding video, I couldn't stop smiling when I first saw it. Being a member of SWAT has really introduced Morgan and other SWAT members to a world of opportunities that will carry them from middle school all the way through life.”
SWAT is Florida's statewide youth organization that works to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize the tobacco industry. SWAT chapters can be found in schools and communities, and by empowering youth and providing leadership opportunities on the state and local levels, it builds the capacity of its advocates to enable environmental and policy change.
The five runners-up to the Tobacco Free Speech Video Contest include Jawaad Khan of Davie, Robert Smith of Winter Park, Mimi Thai of Tallahassee, Matthew David of Jacksonville and Mercedes Jackson of Stuart.
Floridians were given the opportunity to create and produce a video about why they want to be free from tobacco. The Tobacco Free Speech Video Contest asked participants to complete the sentence “I want to Be Free of tobacco in 2009 because…” The contest allowed the public to vote for their favorite submission and then the top 50 videos were reviewed by a judging panel to determine the grand prize winner and runner-ups. In scoring, judges considered originality, entertainment value and the creative way in which the video was produced. To view the winning videos, please visit http://www.youtube.com/group/tobaccofreespeech.
