All this week, Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Club is holding SWAT week to educate students about the consequences of tobacco, drugs, alcohol, and E-cigarettes.

Mrs. Smith, who has been the sponsor for the SWAT club for four years and was preceded by Ms. Sysock, says that the “The whole campaign this year, unfortunately without recital, which was one of our biggest platforms, was how we really trying to help people figure out what E-cigarettes are.”

With E-cigarette usage in high school at an all time high, higher even than tobacco use, SWAT has been provided with all of the proper information to educate students directly from the Department of Health, who Mrs. Smith says attends all of the SWAT meetings.

The OCSA’s SWAT club, which has been on campus for almost a decade, is also present on other campuses, such as OHS, who, according to Mrs. Smith, looks to the OCSA SWAT club as a reference because OCSA’s extensive support program, where “students more comfortable talking about their concerns” because of the “safe areas at our school where students feel they could go to talk to someone if they’re concerned”, as explained by Mrs. Smith.

“Earlier this year we went to each of the homerooms, targeting middle school and 9th grade homerooms, talking about what is an e-cigarette, what is a Juul, what are the real consequences of doing these things.” Mrs. Smith said. “We’ve had some real positive results from that, we did have a couple of younger students turn in their Juuls, anonymously, after we went to the classrooms, and we had some consequences of students who chose to use a Juul at the school and got suspended. Their seeing that this is not just an alternative that’s not going to face the consequences. That’s just school based, but we’re hoping that emotionally and physically students can see why using E-cigarettes has a bigger consequence.”

With the updated initiative and the vast campus outreach program, Students Working Against Tobacco has made SWAT week is more than just about tobacco, but also about educating all students and faculty about the dangers of alcohol, nicotine, and many other drugs.