Polk County Youth in Governance Programs

• The Polk County Tobacco Coalition has been an active group of adult and youth partners since 1995. Youth write grants, provide peer education, present at workshops, and conduct tobacco compliance checks. Youth have established active teen peer tobacco education groups in six school districts, have helped to raise the number of businesses checked for compliance from 50 in 1999 to 207 businesses holding tobacco licenses in 2007. Youth have been a major partner in helping to reduce Polk Counties youth tobacco use from 33% in 2002 to 21% in 2006. 2008 Wisconsin statistics put Polk County youth smoking below the state average. Youth peer modeling as well as youth school groups with youth coalition groups as leaders and advocates certainly has played a role in the reduced youth use of tobacco products.
• Extension-trained youth made a presentation to the Unity school board, gained approval, and began hearing Teen Court sessions on truancy issues beginning in the fall of 2004.
• The Polk County Tobacco Coalition has been an active group of adult and youth partners since 1995. Youth write grants, provide peer education, present at workshops, and conduct tobacco compliance checks. Youth have established active teen peer tobacoo education groups in six school districts, have helped to raise the number of businesses checked for compliance from 50 in 1999 to 207 businesses holding tobacco licenses in 2007. Youth have been a major partner in helping to reduce Polk Counties youth tobacco use from 33% in 2002 to 21% in 2006.

For more information: Polk County UW-Extension Youth Development