On May 7, 2024, PACT and TRU held their annual Day at the Capitol and student rally in person at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, featuring legislative meetings followed by a public Community Forum. Over 500 youth and adult lung health and tobacco control advocates gathered to share their voices with Pennsylvania lawmakers, urging legislators to close loopholes in the Clean Indoor Air Act, stock albuterol in schools, and maintain state funding for tobacco prevention and control programs.
Event Highlights:
The event was a resounding success, demonstrating the collective power and commitment of advocates to advance tobacco control and lung health in Pennsylvania.
On May 2, 2023, PACT and TRU held their annual Day at the Capitol and student rally in person at the Pennsylvania State Capital with legislative meetings followed by a public Community Forum. Over 350 youth and adult lung health and tobacco control advocates shared their voices with Pennsylvania lawmakers and urged legislators to close loopholes in the Clean Indoor Air Act, stock albuterol and to maintain level state funding for tobacco prevention and control programs. Other event highlights include:
On May 4, PACT and TRU held their annual Day at the Capitol and student rally virtually with legislative meetings followed by a public Community Forum. Over 300 youth and adult lung health and tobacco control advocates shared their voices with over 70 Pennsylvania lawmakers and urged legislators to maintain level state funding ($13.754 million) for FY22 to tobacco prevention and control programs and to close loopholes in the Clean Indoor Air Act. Following the legislative visits, the public Community Forum featured TRU youth, lung health experts, an open Q&A as well as virtual exhibit booths.
Our first ever virtual Day at the Capitol was a huge success thanks to the 400+ advocates who participated on May 5, 2020! Tobacco control advocates and students still had the opportunity to come together virtually to provide education to legislators on important tobacco control issues throughout the Commonwealth. The primary advocacy topic of focus was the importance of sustaining tobacco prevention and control funding to support necessary tobacco cessation and prevention programs and services – especially during this critical time for lung health.
PACT advocates had the chance to speak with state legislators over the phone to discuss the importance of their work and/or passion for tobacco prevention and control and attend a virtual Town Hall to learn more about the connection between COVID-19 & tobacco use, the e-cigarette epidemic, the history and importance of tobacco prevention & control funding, and the experience & thoughts of current TRU youth and students across PA.
For the first time, nearly 700 youth and adult advocates rallied together and were highlighted in the media for their great work. The 2019 Day at the Capitol was held on May 7th at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. The primary advocacy topics of focus included the importance of increasing the minimum sales age for tobacco products to 21 to eliminate or reduce youth tobacco initiation as well as sustaining Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) dollars to support necessary tobacco cessation and prevention programs and services.
Visit the PACT Facebook page to view photos from this successful event.
Each year, hundreds of TRU (Tobacco Resistance Unit) members from across the state of Pennsylvania rally together with adult lung health advocates at the State Capitol in Harrisburg to speak with their lawmakers about current tobacco control issues, such as Tobacco 21 (T21). This year, on May 1st 2018, TRU youth had the chance to make their voice heard by advocating to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco and nicotine products from 18 to 21. They also had a lot of fun while gathering signatures for their post-it petition in support of T21 and they also had the opportunity to participate in a scavenger hunt and win some cool prizes! Take a look back at last year’s event!
