About SWAT
Students Winning Against Tobacco (S.W.A.T.) is a project funded by the Texas Cancer Council to increase community actions directed at reducing tobacco use in rural Texas counties.
Reducing Tobacco Use in Rural Communities
The purpose of this project is to decrease tobacco use in rural counties by modifying and adapting comprehensive community approaches currently being used in urban areas such as the Beaumont-Port Arthur area of Texas. This project will develop a process more appropriate for rural areas where 15% of Texans live. The project will be implemented in three rural northwest Texas counties, Armstrong (population 2,134), Childress (population 7,707), and Swisher (population 8,405). These counties are in an area cited in the 2001 Texas Youth Risk Behavior Survey as having the highest rate of high school tobacco use, 43.8%.
Proposed actions include:
- Forming an anti-tobacco task force consisting of adult and youth opinion leaders in each county.
- Conducting a baseline and subsequent annual assessments of tobacco use, compliance with state and local laws and ordinances, level of enforcement, and availability of classes for minors arrested in possession of tobacco.
- Providing the nationally recognized Towards No Tobacco Use (TNT) in selected elementary school classes.
- Training a peer education team at a summer Leadership Camp.
- Working with Harrington Cancer Center and the American Cancer Quit Line to support cessation help for current tobacco users.
- Supporting adult and youth community leaders actions to reduce tobacco use among youth including letter writing, radio announcements, community presentations including those in 4H and other youth activities.
Project Director – Carol A. Rice, Ph.D., R.N.
Carol A. Rice, Ph.D., R.N., is a Professor and Health Specialist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. She is project director for Reducing Tobacco Use in Rural Communities and Cancer Risk Reduction Education through Texas Cooperative—both funded by the Texas Cancer Council. Some of her other projects include Walk Across Texas and Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes.
Her past experience includes several clinical positions with a community focus and 21 years teaching undergraduate and graduate nursing at several schools within the University of Texas System. Dr. Rice received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin. She has a master’s degree from the University of California at San Francisco and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. All of her degrees are in nursing. She has been with the Texas AgriLife Extension Servicesince 1995.
Family Development and Resource Management
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
2251 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-2251
phone: 979.845.3850
fax: 979.845.6496
e-mail: crice@ag.tamu.edu
Project Manager – Cheryl Brewer
Ms. Cheryl Brewer is the project manager. Her office is in the Agricultural Research and Extension Center. She has worked with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service for 28 years, serving Potter, Van Zandt, Ochiltree and Hartley counties. She has a B.S. degree in homemaking education from Texas Tech and a M.Ed. in Agriculture Education from Texas A&M University.
6500 Amarillo Blvd., West
Amarillo, TX 79106-1796
phone: 806.677.5600
fax: 806.677.5644
e-mail: CBrewer@ag.tamu.edu
Amy E. Barbour, CEA-FCS, Oldham County
County Extension Agent-Family and Consumer Sciences
PO Box 380
Vega, TX 79092-0380
phone: 806.267.2692
fax: 806.267.0117
e-mail: aebarbour@ag.tamu.edu
Mary Ruth Bishop , CEA-FCS, Donely County
County Extension Agent-Family and Consumer Sciences
PO Box 682
Clarendon, TX 79226-0682
Phone: 806.874.2141
Fax: 806.874.3054
Email: mrbishop@ag.tamu.edu
Leesa Wood Calvi, CEA-FCS, Randall County
County Extension Agent-Family and Consumer Sciences
200 N Brown Rd
Canyon, TX 79015-7300
phone: 806.468.5543
fax: 806.468.5547
e-mail: l-calvi@tamu.edu
Robin Garrison, Program Assistant, Randall County
Program Assistant
200 N Brown Rd
Canyon, TX 790157300
Phone: 806.468.5543
Fax: 806.468.5547
Email: rlgarrison@ag.tamu.edu
Kylinda D. McCurry, CEA-FCS, Castro County
County Extension Agent-Family and Consumer Sciences
205 N Broadway St
Dimmitt, TX 79027-1823
phone: 806.647.4115
fax: 806.647.3218
e-mail: kdmccurry@ag.tamu.edu
Lecia Redwine, CEA-FCS, Armstrong County
County Extension Agent-Family and Consumer Sciences
PO Box 528
Claude, TX 79019-0528
phone: 806.226.3021
fax: 806.226.5019
e-mail: l-redwine@tamu.edu
Moore County
County Extension Agent-Family and Consumer Sciences
310 E. First St., Rm. 100
Dumas, TX 79029-2703
phone: 806.935.2593
fax: 806.934.9765
Parmer County
County Extension Agent-Family and Consumer Sciences
PO Box 285
Farwell, TX 79325-0285
phone: 806.481.3619
fax: 806.481.3610
Calley Runnels, CEA-FCS, Swisher County
County Extension Agent-Family and Consumer Sciences
310 West Broadway
Tulia, TX 79088
phone: 806.995.3721
fax:
e-mail: c-payne@tamu.edu
Dawn A Watson, CEA-FCS, Deaf Smith County
County Extension Agent-Family and Consumer Sciences
P. O. Box 953
Hereford, TX 79045-3573
phone: 806.364.3573
fax: 806.363.7047
e-mail: dawatson@ag.tamu.edu
Joanna Olson, CEA-4-H and Youth Development, Deaf Smith County
County Extension Agent-4-H and Youth Development
PO Box 953
Hereford, TX 790450953
Phone: 806.364.3573
Fax: 806.363.7047
Email: jfolson@ag.tamu.edu
S.W.A.T is a project funded by the Texas Cancer Council.
