prevention   

Reducing youth drinking, tobacco and drug use has to involve creating community environments that discourage access to and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. YLI helps young people take the lead in this environmental prevention approach. Young people create change focused on improving health and well-being, while also gaining experience and skills as leaders in their communities.

Reduce Youth Access to Tobacco!
Youth Organizing San Mateo County (YO!Mateo) and partnering youth advocate groups (Tobacco Use Prevention Educators and Stay Safe Youth Coalition) have gathered surveys over two years and found that merchants in the city of San Mateo are selling cigarettes to teens at nearly twice the percentage as in the rest of California! The youth-led field purchase survey found that underage buyers were able to purchase cigarettes from 24 percent of the merchants they visited in San Mateo, up from a 2005 survey, and consistent with purchase rates found in Pacifica (27%) and Daly City (25%).