2400 shoes to teach teens about tobacco

The East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (ETCADA) will display 1200 pairs of shoes as a part of Red Ribbon Week.

Red Ribbon Week is usually the last week in October it is a week designated to drug prevention and awareness.

"Project 1200" is a campaign used all over the nation to raise awareness about the fact that 1200 people die each day as a result of tobacco-related disease," Angie Johnson-Guevara, ETCADA Tobacco education program manager said. "We're excited about the opportunity to raise awareness in the community."

"Project 1200" is coordinated by People Educating Communities About Tobacco (PECAT) and the Prevention Resource Center 4, both programs of ETCADA.

"We recognize that using tobacco is responsible for thousands of deaths each year, as a drug prevention agency we recognize tobacco is a gateway drug," Susan Erwin Executive Director East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse said. "One of ETCADA's goals is to provide education so that

young people do not use tobacco and so they will make healthy choices to live a healthy productive life. "Project 1200" is our way of bringing a visual demonstration of the impact that tobacco has on the lives of americans."

The event takes place 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21, in the K-mart parking lot at the corner of McCann and Glencrest in Longview.

ETCADA is a United Way agency that provides substance abuse prevention, intervention, and education to 23 East Texas counties.

For more information contact Susan Erwin, at 903-753-7633.