Great American Smokeout Article

By: Sidney Frey, Tiffany Cochenour and Anna Snead

7th grade Youth Leadership Council (YLC) Members



Taylor Murguia, Meredith Miller,
Abby Rider, Jordan Billups,
Lydia Heald & Katelyn Davisson



Isabel Neeley, Olivia Denney,
McKenzie Perry, Jacinta Wenke,
Chase Murphy & Brian Hervey



Thursday, November 15th was the Great American Smokeout. The 7th grade YLC members planned a variety of activities. They wore black t-shirts backwards to show that students are turning their back on tobacco. We made locker signs, posters a radio ad and are also working on a TV ad that will air later in the year.

The Great American Smokeout is to encourage people to stop smoking. Here are some facts about tobacco that might help you quit:
• Spit tobacco users have higher risk of heart disease.
• Tobacco causes yellow, stained teeth, and bad breath.

Some of the reasons you should quit are:
• Smoking causes premature aging and is linked to wrinkles.
• 80% of teens would rather date a non-smoker.
• Smoke increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) if you are a parent who smokes around a new baby.
• Smoking kills and estimated 25,000 people annually in the United States.
• Cigar smokers place themselves at risk for mouth and lung cancer, coronary hear disease, stroke, heart attack and emphysema.

If you do use tobacco we hope some of the information we have provided will help you decide to quit, if you need help quitting you may contact the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or Quitline Iowa at 1800QUITNOW or online at www.quitnow.net.