St. Louis native Tahir Moore is an up and coming comedian who traveled the country last summer for a serious purpose: to educate teens about the dangers of tobacco use. Moore, 23, has appeared on MTV's "Yo Mama" program showing off his comedic talents. But last summer, he put comedy on hold to travel with the truth^® youth smoking prevention campaign's annual summer tour.

It's an issue that is close to Moore's heart. When Moore was in the eighth grade, his father was diagnosed with throat cancer - caused by smoking - and died on the operating table. His personal experience impacted Moore's view of the issue, and gives him an understanding of what families suffering from tobacco-related diseases experience.

truth^®, the nation's largest smoking prevention campaign for youth, kicked off its 8th annual nationwide summer tour last June in Los Angeles. Moore was one of just 14 young people in their early 20s, chosen from a field of more than 1700 applicants, to represent the truth^® campaign as it traveled the country. The truth^® tour spreads information about the addictiveness of tobacco products, the adverse health effects of tobacco use, and the social consequences of smoking.

On the tour, in a truth^® zone anchored by signature orange "truth^® trucks", truth^® crew members like Tahir engaged in peer-to-peer interaction with teens attending the concerts and sporting events. At each stop, crew members held fashion shows, dance contests, freestyle rap "battles", and DJ lessons through "Scratch Academy" (a group of DJs who school newcomers on the fundamentals of DJ'ing, scratching and mixing music). The fun and engaging atmosphere made it easier for truth^® crew members to discuss tobacco issues in a non-preachy way.

When the tour ended last fall, Moore returned to St. Louis to continue his work as a substitute teacher in the St. Louis public schools while continuing to pursue his degree in business administration.