Tar Wars is a nationally recognized educational program designed to educate elementary students about being tobacco-free, provide the students with the tools necessary to make well-educated positive decisions regarding their health, and to encourage the students to take a personal responsibility for their well-being.

Tar Wars began in Denver, Colorado during a Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Colorado meeting in 1988 and in its first year it reached 7,000 Denver children. Since then, the American Academy of Family Physicians has been instrumental in the implementation of the program nationwide, and acquired full ownership and operation of Tar Wars in 2000.

At Penn State College of Medicine, our program is operated by three student coordinators, Michelle Teresh, Kate Kasicky, and Andrew Derksen-Schrock. We visit various local elementary schools to discuss the effects of cigarette smoking with fourth and fifth grade students. We are very proud of our Tar Wars Program as it reaches more students annually than any other Tar Wars Program in Pennsylvania.

For more inforamtion, or to volunteer, contact Liz Nguyen, My-Le Nguyen, or John Wiersch.

For more information about AAFP, please click Tar Wars.