Institutional

SCHOOLS: A tobacco-free school environment can provide health, social, and economic benefits for students, staff, the school, and the district.  Schools are an ideal institution for young people to learn and understand the risks of tobacco.  Evidence suggests that school health programs can be an effective means of preventing tobacco use among youth, and where better then schools to implement these programs.  A number of findings have shown positive outcomes from these programs.


An example of one of these programs is D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education).  This program helps gives kids the skills they need to 'just say no' and is used in 75% of the United States school districts.  I attended St. Michael School from first through eighth grade, and we had our D.A.R.E program classes during the sixth grade.  I thought this was a good time to learn about all the laws and risks of tobacco because it was around this age that kids at my school started talking about using the drug.  I thought this program was very successful and taught me a lot of information I could apply to my everyday life. 


EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Since many young people are involved in sports, this is another way to inform young people on the dangers of smoking.  Teaching the young athletes that staying smoke-free gives your more stamina and makes you more of an asset to your team has been proven effective.  Kids that are involved in sports learn to make important health related decisions involving tobacco use, physical activity, and good nutrition at an early stage in life.  Many high-profile athletes, coaches, agencies, and organizations have joined the Center for Disease Control's Tobacco Free Movement.  This movement strives to keep kids tobacco free, seeing as studies have proven that if kept tobacco-free, most youth will not start using it later in life.  I think this program does a great job at staying tobacco free be cool.  I know sports were such an important part of my life growing up, just like a lot of kids, and putting the realization that your game could suffer due to smoking I know would help steer many kids away at the thought of trying a cigarette.  Being the best you can be is very important in sports, and I know I would not like anything like smoking get in my way.

 

 WORK:  Tobacco prevention is becoming more and more relevant to the workplace throughout the country.  Companies are gradually finding that it is more beneficial in the long run to hire someone that does not smoke, compared to those that do smoke.  Studies have found that cigarette users are more bound to health risks, and call in for more sick days than non cigarette users.  The American Lung Association says that the key to having a healthy work environment is to ensuring that the air is smoke-free.