Kauai Kolada

Kauai Kolada The RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company launched a national ad campaign featuring coconut/pineapple flavored cigarettes with the name Kauai Kolada. TFK quickly responded to the ad by garnering support from Kauai's mayor, the Kauai Visitors Bureau, Hawaii's governor and other officials who widely condemned it. Our outrage was publicized across the nation in newspapers and on National Public Radio, which resulted in the tobacco company admitting that it had second thoughts about using our name. TFK strongly opposes the ad on many grounds, including the facts that it is marketing to youth, it debases the Hawaiian culture, and it pollutes the good name of Kauai.

Tar Wars at Kauai High Schools

Tar Wars Tar Wars is a tobacco-prevention program for 4th and 5th graders that is promoted by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Tobacco-Free Kauai volunteers have taken the curriculum to hundreds of pupils in Kauai's public and private schools. The award-winning youth education program follows the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by offering the one-time, one-hour presentation during the school year. Coalition members who participated expressed tremendous satisfaction with the program and commented on the gratification they felt by helping to steer our youth from the tobacco-use habit.

Health Fair Participation

Health Fairs Coalition members are very gracious with their time and serve at various health and community fairs throughout the year. It is here where we come in contact with a sizeable portion of residents. Kauai, as a relatively small island, is a place of ohana (one big family) where we all know and care for each other. How better to show this caring than by presenting current, relevant information about the dangers of tobacco use? With our displays, brochures, banners and good cheer, we encourage those who want to quit and offer tools to those who want to help a family member or friend. Oh, and there's another reason members so readily pitch in: we like to.

Tobacco Summit

Tobacco Summit The Kaua`i Secondary Schools Tobacco Summit was held May 14, 2002. The Summit Goals were to reduce the number of suspensions for tobacco use and to introduce the administrators, teachers and staff to Brief Interventions for Tobacco Use, to Explore Alternatives to Suspension, and to Formulate School Tobacco Policy. With nearly 100 in attendance the Summit was considered a great success. All six of the schools have since amended their tobacco policies allowing for treatment rather than suspensions. The Kauai Department of Education recently received a grant to provide tobacco-control experts for all public schools on the island.

Public Service Announcements

PSA's For a number of years, Tobacco-Free Kauai has partnered with local schools, our Boys and Girls Clubs and other youth to produce public-service announcements about the dangers of tobacco. The PSA's are produced at KKCR-FM, community radio, and aired on all the commercial stations on Kauai. The youngsters (from 8 to 12) provide the talent as they read their parts in skits designed to highlight one aspect of the dangers of tobacco. The highly successful program also serves as an aspect of media literacy for the youngsters, who feel the pride of hearing their messages broadcast to family and friends.