Our top issues

In our fight to end smoking, vaping and nicotine addiction, we focus on the issues that matter most. We constantly monitor the latest topics and trends in tobacco and substance use.

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Who we are

Truth Initiative is America's largest nonprofit public health organization committed to making tobacco use and nicotine addiction a thing of the past.

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Get the latest facts and analyses on the most important issues related to smoking, vaping, nicotine and substance use.

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What we do

We give young people the facts about smoking, vaping, nicotine and the tobacco industry, engage individuals and groups to make change in their communities, innovate ways to end nicotine addiction and join forces with collaborators committed to a future where tobacco and nicotine addiction are a thing of the past.

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Enlist in our movement, explore youth activism programs, share quitting resources and learn about more ways you can get involved.

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Truth Initiative Experiential Learning & Mobilization Program

The Experiential Learning and Mobilization program’s main purpose is to build a national network of young people with activism tools and strategies to mobilize their peers, schools, and communities to promote and sustain truth's tobacco and vape prevention activism efforts agenda.

At the core of our skills-based programming is a powerful belief that young people are the most important players in the fight to end nicotine addiction. Therefore, our primary mission is to educate, empower and mobilize these young people with the facts and skills to create communities free from smoking, vaping, and nicotine.

In support of that mission, we also convene and engage adults who support young people as tobacco control counselors, health department officials, state coalitions advisors to share best practices for effective youth engagement.

Youth Activists on the National Mall

Program Objectives

  • Raise awareness about tobacco and vape industry tactics and targeting practices and encourage cross-cultural dialogue on a variety of tobacco/vape issues
  • Empower young people with meaningful knowledge of advocacy tactics and peer mobilization strategies in support of smoke free communities.
  • Engage young people to explore their evolving understanding of activism through the lenses of social justice, health equity, and intersectionality in tobacco prevention.
  • Train and develop youth serving institutions and professionals on effective youth-adult partnerships.

Training activists group social

How It Works

The learning engagements are designed by Truth Initiative staff in collaboration with young adults who also serve as Youth Facilitators. These well-trained peer- to peer facilitators are best positioned to foster honest, authentic, and relatable dialogue about the impacts of tobacco and vaping on schools and communities. The program has two main components and can be delivered in a variety of formats (in-person, virtual, hybrid):

  • Direct Youth Programming- interactive skills based-learning experiences for youth and young adults in schools, communities, coalitions, retreats, and conferences led by trained peer youth facilitators.
  • Capacity Building for Youth-Adult Partnerships- discussion based training and professional development for youth serving institutions and organizations who directly support young people on issues across tobacco prevention such as vaping, nicotine addiction, menthol and tobacco/smoke-free environments or any other engagement across the tobacco prevention network.

Interested in learning more about our program offerings or partnering for a series of learning experiences. Request an engagement below and complete a training intake form. After you submit, someone from our team will be in contact in 1-2 weeks with next steps.

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