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 Like many high school students, Dani, who is a senior, is involved in many activities, including chorus and varsity cheerleading. But she also helps to educate other youth about the dangers of tobacco use as part of her school’s “Chem-Free” program. Dani lives in Maine, which is one of just five states in the U.S. that fully fund tobacco control and prevention spending programs at the levels recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some of those funds are used to fund “Chem-Free” anti-tobacco, drug and alcohol programs in schools,
Dani knows firsthand how important being tobacco-free is. She lost two grandparents to cancer because they smoked, and her father suffered a heart attack, which was likely caused by his smoking. She says that “no family should have to deal with the pain caused by something preventable.” More than 80 percent of adult consumers began smoking before they turned 19, making tobacco prevention efforts among youth critical in the nation’s struggle with disease and death caused by tobacco.
Dani explains, “I feel that funding for youth tobacco prevention programs is a very important and worthy cause. Too many kids these days are becoming addicted to a killer. The advertisements children see influence them no matter what is being sold. I think the more we get smoking prevention out there, the better effect it will have. You can never have too much positive information.”
She sees her young cousins and wants to make sure she has an impact on them as well as her classmates at her high school. “I wanted to set the example that if you don't drink, smoke, or do drugs you can in fact become a well-rounded person and get a lot more our of your four years in high school then just academics,” she said. “By continuing to work with youth, little by little, we can prevent a lot of unnecessary illness in this country. Like it’s been said many times before, ’The future begins now.’" |
