RJR Youth Tobacco Prevention Program Upgrades Website

WINSTON-SALEM. N.C. — A youth smoking prevention program funded by the country's second-largest tobacco company is upgrading its online presence. 

Right Decisions Right Now: Be Tobacco Free (RDRN) has made major enhancements to its website. The online portal now offers a more user-friendly experience for educators, parents and community groups. 

"Any teacher, parent, coach or youth leader can access this successful online program free of charge, and now we've made it both easier to navigate and more intuitive with our redesign of the website," said Steve Curl, a public policy director involved in efforts to help prevent youth tobacco use on behalf of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which funds RDRN. 

RDRN provides the tools educators need to convey a strong anti-tobacco message to students in grades five through nine. The program also provides valuable information and tools to parents, grandparents and community leaders.

"We believe that programs like RDRN have had a big impact in reducing teen smoking, but more can and should be done," Curl said. "RDRN is a key part of our company's long-term initiative to transform the tobacco industry." 

The RDRN program and supplementary educational materials, such as videos and posters, can be downloaded from the website to computers, smart boards and mobile devices, and are used to teach middle-school students about the risks of using tobacco products. The program is designed to empower students to make good decisions, including the decision not to use any form of tobacco, and give them the knowledge to live a healthy lifestyle, according to R.J. Reynolds.

More than 20,000 middle schools across the country have used the RDRN program since it was independently developed more than 20 years ago. The program is also used by community groups such as Boy Scouts of America; Big Brothers, Big Sisters; and the Crosby Scholars Program. 

Free materials provided through the RDRN program include teacher and parent guides, as well as interactive activities that give students factual information about tobacco prevention that they can reference when completing subsequent lessons. All of the guides are available on the website: www.rightdecisionsrightnow.com. 

Based in Winston-Salem, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. is an indirect subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc.