The Stanislaus County Office of Education Prevention Programs, in partnership with the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency, Memorial Medical Center, Leading to Change, and Youth Decoy Program, will host the 13th Annual PHAST (Protecting Health And Slamming Tobacco) Tobacco Slam Training on Tuesday Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Martin Petersen Event Center, 720 12th St., Modesto.

The keynote speaker this year will be Eric Rowles, a nationally recognized trainer, speaker, and consultant who has worked with over 150,000 youth, adults, administrators, professionals, and policy makers within the past 15 years. According to Charmaine Monte, Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Coordinator, “His presentations are legendary because he combines the energy and innovation of a master trainer, while at the same time reaching the audience through his stories, research, and on-the-ground strategies. Eric is one part motivational speaker, one part DJ, and two parts community organizer.”

Rowles will discuss FROM HOW TO WOW: Rocks Stars Leading to Change.

More than 250 students from 27 high schools in Stanislaus County will learn about Tobacco 101 to include up-to-date information about JUUL and e-cigarette, creating policy from idea to action, developing thought provoking anti-tobacco PSA’s, anti-tobacco campaign development, discovering their leadership potential, and a photo voice project that empowers youth to make a change in their community.

The participating high schools are Argus, Ceres, Central Valley, Denair, Denair Charter, Patterson, Del Puerto, Open Valley, Hughson, Roselawn, Turlock, Pitman, Riverbank, Adelante, Orestimba, West Side Valley, Beyer, Davis, Downey, Enochs, Elliot, Gregori, Johansen, Modesto, Valley Charter, Sentinel and Waterford.

For more information, contact Charmaine Monte at (209) 238-1368 or cmonte@stancoe.org.