Kelso High stokes anti-smoking campaign
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 7:57 AM PST
By Carrie Pederson
Printable version
E-mail this articleKelso High School will use a $21,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Health to discourage students from smoking.
The grant will pay for staff training and increased monitoring of locations where students may be using tobacco on campus, according to a press release from Educational Service District 112.
Kelso School District policy prohibits smoking by anyone on school property at any time.
"Making sure our school campuses are tobacco-free sends an important message to kids about the dangers of smoking and using spit tobacco," said Kelso High School Principal Adele Marshall.
Preventing youth tobacco addiction can help reduce adult smoking, because 70 percent of adult smokers say they were smoking regularly before they finished high school, according to the ESD 112.
Prevention/intervention specialist Shellee Brassard recently worked with faculty to heighten awareness about student tobacco use, which tends to increase absenteeism, reduce attention spans and leads to lower grades, she said.
Brassard also will work with student leaders on a campaign using daily announcements, posters and other marketing tools to make students aware of the district's smoking policy.
The grant also will pay for student resource officer Tara Garcia-Fromdahl to increase monitoring of locations where students may be using tobacco on campus.
Under current district policy, students caught smoking on campus are subject to suspension. However, the district still start a new alternative program under which students will attend afterschool smoking cessation classes. Those who complete the class will avoid suspension, according to the ESD 112 press release.
About 18 percent of Cowlitz County 10th graders smoke cigarettes, according to ESD 112, and the number jumps to 24.1 percent among 12th graders.
Numbers of teen smokers in Cowlitz County is slightly higher than the state average-- 15 percent of high school students smoke.
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