News and Events

Gilchrist County SWAT Youth Address Fanning Springs City Commission
June 2, 2015

SWAT members from Gilchrist County spoke to the Fanning Springs City Commission on June 2, 2015.  They are concerned about the high number of students in their schools who use flavored products when they use tobacco for the first time. 

This is the fourth presentation SWAT has made in Gilchrist County on this topic.  They have also presented at the Gilchrist County Board of County Commission, Bell Town Council, and the Trenton City Commission. 

Each of these groups agreed with SWAT that flavored tobacco products marketed to children are a problem, and each group passed flavored tobacco resolutions.  These resolutions recommend that retailers take these products off the shelves in an effort to reduce the appeal of tobacco to young people in Gilchrist County.

Fanning Springs
L to R: Katrina Turner, Hannah Turner & Joshua Akin

The SWAT club asked the Fanning Springs City Commission to pass a similar resolution. Senior SWAT member, and president of the Trenton High School SWAT club, Karina Turner, told the Commissioners, “This is really a step in the right direction.  If you pass this resolution, you are helping to change social norms.  You are saying this is not okay.” 

It seems that the Commissioners agreed with Karina as they asked the City Attorney to draw up a resolution to be presented at the next meeting.  The members of the Fanning Springs City Commission thanked the SWAT youth for speaking to them, and also told them that SWAT has their support in their mission to prevent youth from using tobacco. 

The passage of a resolution in Fanning Springs will mean that every municipality in Gilchrist County agrees that flavored tobacco should not be marketed the children in our community.  Gilchrist County SWAT club members should be proud of their efforts and the way that they are working to change social norms to make tobacco history in their county.