Meet PRIDE of Tuscaloosa from Tuscaloosa, Alabama! Originally founded in 1984, this southern PRIDE team has overcome much adversity and has been given a breath of fresh life under the new, motivated leadership of Lois Palecek and Sena Stewart.
PRIDE of Tuscaloosa moved from their previous location to a new office in October, 2008. A community open house was held to coincide with Jay's visit for the national training. Local celebrity, Miss Tuscaloosa, was also in attendance for the Open House. Impressed by the work of PRIDE Youth Programs on both the local and international level, Miss Tuscaloosa changed her platform to Safe and Drug-Free Lifestyles. Today, she is currently speaking at schools on behalf of PRIDE Tuscaloosa.
ion: Community Outreach, Community Service, Drug Education, and Positive Social Activities. Some of their accomplishments thus far include a sponsored event by the name "Tuscaloosa United." This Red Ribbon Week event took place at a bridge, in town, that connects the city to the county. The event symbolized a community usited against drugs and alcohol by having team members walk from both ends of the bridge and meeting in the center. To celebrate the winter holiday season, Tuscaloosa PRIDE teams participated in the West Alabama Christmas Parade. The parade was themed "City Sidewalks." PRIDE of Tuscaloosa chose "Safe Sidewalks" as their theme, and decorated the float with trees, lamplights, snow and snowflakes along with signs promoting safe choice messages. While team members from Northside High School have been active in their school promoting a safe and drug-free message by presenting skits at Northside Elementary, team members from Holt High School made showcase displays to educate youth. Students also make announcements and present skits to their peers.
Does second hand smoke pose a threat to minors? Yes. According to former Surgeon General, Richard Carmona, “children exposed to secondhand smoke suffer an increased risk of respiratory ailments….” Not willing to risk health, thirty-five states (including Pennsylvania) have signed legislation to be “smoke-free.” New laws in these states ban smoking in government buildings, workplaces, restaurants, hotels, and bowling alleys. In addition, the states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maine and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have banned the act of smoking in vehicles when children passengers are present. Arizona, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington have passed similar laws banning the act of smoking in vehicles transporting foster children. Texas, though not considered a “smoke-free” state, recently passed a law that bans foster parents from smoking around youth. Smoking within a closed space and in the presence of a minor is an entrapment of youth, regardless of one’s freedom to light up.
The breathing rate of a child is three times that of an adult. On average, a child draws forty-four breaths per minute. A recent study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tested the levels of secondhand smoke emitted by one person smoking in a car. The results showed that the air inside the vehicle became up to 10 times more toxic than the level the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is hazardous for breathing! “Smoking in a car, or any confined space, increases the level of pollution inhaled by children… increasing the likelihood of suffering from the negative health effects of secondhand smoke." Negative health effects include an increase of asthmas attacks, bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear infections. The lungs of a child continue to develop until he or she reaches adulthood. Exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to heart disease and cancer in adults.
Supporters of the “smoke-free” states are eager to expand legislation and continue the battle against secondhand smoke. However, not everyone is in favor of the anti-smoking legislations. Bridget Wahl, 38, and a mother of a 2-year-old believes, “in theory it’s a great idea, but [thinks] in practice it violates some major civil rights." Smoking is legal in the United States for everyone over the age of eighteen. Because the selling of tobacco is legal, many people believe they have the “right” to smoke wherever, whenever. Unfortunately, for them, this is not true. No “constitutional freedom” exists to protects an individual’s right to light up and impair health. The irony is almost all smokers are addicted to nicotine. The addiction to nicotine is difficult to end. So, is the argument about civil rights and the “freedom of choice” or denial of addiction?
Truth ®, an organization who believes knowledge is infectious, is popular for airing public service announcements on major television stations. Truth’s ® “objective is to make sure every single person gets to know the facts about tobacco.” A current commercial shows hundreds of baby dolls crawling the streets of New York City. The punch line is a passerby who picks up a doll and reads a message on baby’s t-shirt: In 1996 a tobacco executive was asked, “How do infants avoid second-hand smoke?” The reply, “At some point they begin to crawl." Ignorance and a lack of health education have oppositionists of smoke-free environments focused on “smoker rights” and not health risks. However, tobacco companies are beginning to feel the effects of strict smoking regulations and increases on cigarette tax. Manufactures suffered a 7% volume decrease in 2008 alone.
States that are not “smoke-free” often believe that restaurants need to allow smoking to stimulate business. However, scientific studies show that workplaces, malls, restaurants, and hotels do not lose business when “smoke-free air” laws pass. “Concerned” citizens worry that our economy needs the income from the tobacco business and government needs taxes from tobacco sales during this time of economic crisis. Rest assure, society as a whole (government in particular) spends more money annually due to death, disease, and destruction caused by tobacco than the profit gained form allowing tobacco business. This means, money not spent on tobacco would be available to help stimulate the economy.
Inhaling secondhand smoke is a major health risk. It is important to note that in passing “smoke-free” laws, the government is not ordering people where they can and cannot go. Nor is the government trying to prevent individuals from traveling to and from desired locations. Laws have been passed to benefit the health of the public and the health of minors. Regardless of how “comfortable” smoking may make a smoker feel, science proves health facts that create a very uncomfortable environment for a non-smoker. Current research concludes that if tobacco were a new product, the trade of tobacco as a manufactured good would be outlawed. Even now if the majority of the population was in favor of smoking, society as a whole has the basic right to good health. “Smoking is optional. Breathing is not.”
Through song, dance, speech, and other creative outlets, PRIDE teams around the world spread the drug-free message. Below is a memorable performance of "Techno Turnaround," by the 2005-2006 Training Team.
