TATU (Teens Against Tobacco Use) is a club within NO Name that teaches children against tobacco usage. TATU usually begins near the end of March and beginning of April. This year unfortunately due to budget cuts, TATU is no longer running.

According to the Will Country Health Department and Community Health Center, they are no longer able to help fund TATU. They went on to explain that, “our Tobacco Control & Prevention program is founded from a grant received from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Current grant guidelines require all local health departments to offer evidence based youth prevention programs, and TATU is not one of the evidenced-based programs.” Basically stating that TATU isn’t part of the funded programs for youth prevention.

NO Name president senior, Kayla Washington, stated “It was fun to have TATU while it lasted, but a lot of schools have also stopped contacting us to perform at their school, which is really disappointing.”

According to the Will County Health Department and Community Health Center, they gave Joliet West the opportunity to continue the program with providing materials, “All the visual aids and presentation supplies are available to be loaded out to schools. If you have, or someone in your school, are interested in borrowing program supplies, I have included a materials request form to be returned by mail or fax for your convenience.”

Even though they gave No Name the opportunity to continue the TATU program, it still costs way too much for the club to operate on its own. Especially having to pay back the supplies that they were planning to loan.

According to the leader of TATU, Ada Agba, “I think that it sucks but we just don’t have the money for it right now. But I’m hoping once we do, it will be up again next year and better than ever.”

All in all, students are eager to spread awareness and get the program going again.