News and Events

Richard Whittington Celebrates his Tenth Year as Ruth Rains Middle School SWAT Advisor!
September 23, 2020

Mr. Richard Whittington has begun the tenth year as the Ruth Rains Middle School Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) Advisor.  Mr. Whittington is the Health Education teacher and a coach at RRMS.  For the previous year, the SWAT club has had great active members.  Many of the Dixie County High School SWAT members credit their experience as RRMS SWAT for their continued advocacy in high school.  These students continue to speak to local elected officials, community organization and school administrations about the need for tobacco prevention efforts.

Mr. Whittington has worked with the youth to provide and collect parental permission forms, has coordinated after school meetings, encourage and arranged SWAT club presentations, assisted in planning National and State-wide tobacco prevention campaigns such as the “Not-A-Lab Rat” and participated in community-based/statewide tobacco free events, like the Cross City Fly-In Business Expo SWAT Booth.  Mr. Whittington has also participated in and transported youth to state wide and regional SWAT Trainings.

Mr. Whittington shared why he continues to serve as the SWAT Advisor.  “I think the SWAT Club at RRMS, (through the information booths the youth set up at dances, and baseball/softball games) allows students to talk to their classmates about how tobacco is a danger to a young person’s health and a danger to their wallet as well!”

For the past nine years, Mr. Whittington has collected all of the membership forms, event reports and meeting minutes and provided them for reporting.  He has also given reports to the Tobacco Free Partnership to update them on the great work of the SWAT youth.

Thank you, Mr. Whittington for continuing advising our youth as they work on tobacco and vape prevention!