FOCUS offered two regional rallies this year! The first was held on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at the Bryant Conference Center on the campus of The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Tuscaloosa Rally had over 850 participants in attendance. The second was held on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at Shocco Springs Conference Center in Talladega. The Talladega Rally had over 600 participants in attendance.

 

FOCUS' 17th Annual FOCUS Rally empowered students to lead prevention activities in their schools and communities. Noah Galloway, the keynote speaker,  spoke to the Rally audience and shared his story, encouraging and motivating others to offer no excuses. 

Check out the videos from the 2019 FOCUS Rallies! 

Tuscaloosa Focus Rally

Talladega FOCUS Rally

 

Starting in January 2020, FOCUS will offer three Rallies. The first will be held in Andalusia, on Friday, January 31 at  Lurleen B. Wallace Community College (LBWCC)! Registration is open on our website at https://www.thefocusprogram.com/focus-rallies. The deadline to register is January 24!  Educators may receive Power School Professional Development by registering on the ALSDE website.

The second Rally will be held in Tuscaloosa and the third in Talladega! Save the date for the 2020 Rallies!  For more information on the FOCUS Rallies please visit our website at  www.thefocusprogram.com .

 

Teen Vaping: What You Need to Know

"Although e-cigarettes have been around for more than a decade, vaping rates have skyrocketed in recent years, especially among teens.  E-cigarettes are now the most frequently used tobacco product  among adolescents - some  2.1 million middle and high school students  were e-cigarette users in 2017 - far surpassing traditional combustible cigarettes."

To view the full article about Teen Vaping please click here. 

CONGRATULATIONS!

Do not forget to register your school for the 2019-2020 school! Click here to register as a FOCUS school or to update your school's registration!

"As pediatricians and public-health experts, we know that addictive behaviors start in childhood. Juul knows this, too. They're banking on it. The rise in vaping has reversed decades of progress in reducing youth smoking. In the 2018 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey, nearly one in three high school students had used vaping products in the past month. This translates to a future revenue stream for Juul, whose products represent over half of the nicotine vaping market."

To read the full article please click here. 

 

November

• *1-30: VAPING PREVENTION MONTH
• 15:  Great American Smokeout

December

• 1: World AIDS Day
• 2-8: National Hand-washing Awareness Week (Henry the Hand Foundation) 

*Designated for ALABAMA FOCUS SCHOOLS

The Facilitator Training Videos are live on our website!! 

You can view these videos on the Facilitator page at www.focusprogram.com.

Follow FOCUS on social media at /alabamafocus:

        

Be sure to tag us on all your school's activities 

by using the hashtag #ALABAMAFOCUS!

The FOCUS eNewsletter provides links to articles and websites with information on current events, research, funding opportunities and other items related to theprevention of HIV/AIDS and other adolescent risk behaviors. The inclusion of this information does not imply endorsement by FOCUS and the opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the official position, policies or views of FOCUS.