GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - A group picking up serious momentum in Gridley is that of Si Se Puede. Their mission is to educate the community and youth on the hazards of tobacco use and how it disproportionally targets minority groups, such as the Hispanic community in our area.

Si Se Puede, formed two years ago in cooperation with the California Health Collaborative (CHC) to address tobacco use within our community, has been actively cleaning up our parks, has addressed our City Council, and leading up to Take Down Tobacco Day, which is April 1st, worked with the Department of Education to present information to multiple school campuses throughout Gridley.

Delores Vasquez, Outreach Coordinator for the CHC and advisor to the youth leaders that make up Si Se Puede, says that they looked to Gridley to form the group due to the lack of educational resources being disseminated in our area, especially to our Hispanic population.

Information shared at the schools to all students interested included educational pamphlets in Spanish and English, visual examples of the multiple forms of tobacco being made available, in very attractive ways, such as flavored tobacco, and information on chemicals found within them, such formaldehyde, ammonia, lead and more.

Students at Sycamore School’s presentation, held March 30^th, showed strong interest in what Si Se Puede had brought to share with them. A spinning wheel filled with trivia questions about tobacco, vaping and smoking shocked many. Intern with the School Ties Program, affiliated with the Butte County Office of Education’s Student Health and Education program and working with Si Se Puede’s, Taylor Cutler, showed students what long-term tobacco use does to the users’ teeth, gums and overall oral health. Joselinne Pulido, with School Ties, showed students examples of some of the tar and other chemicals found in cigarette and vape smoke, answered questions and urged students to think of activities they’d rather participate in rather than smoking or vaping. Students brainstormed and wrote down ideas that will be assimilated into a list of smoking cessation techniques to be shared with their fellow peers looking to quit smoking or vaping.

Of educating their peers and community, Vasquez says of Si Se Puede’s work, “I think it very important because of all the chemicals and how they get addicted to it at such a young age.” She goes on to say, that just like any parent, parents in the Hispanic community aren’t fully aware of the dangers until they are shown or informed.

Si Se Puede hopes to further their work in the community, continuing to be of service through park cleanups and through active participation in upcoming community events and more educational presentations.