[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SALUTE TO COMMACK MIDDLE SCHOOL'S ANTITEEN SMOKING PROGRAM

                                 ______


                            HON. RICK LAZIO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 1996

  Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a minute to 
express my strong support for a program that a school in my district 
has been developing to combat teen smoking. Mrs. Joan Hanley's eighth 
grade class at Commack Middle School on Long Island have designated 
June 4, 1996, as Antiteen Smoking Day.
  Mrs. Hanley's class has proposed a nonsmoking club for their school, 
as well as a peer program that will assist teens to stop smoking. The 
class is also circulating a petition that teens can sign pledging not 
to smoke.
  Last year over 130,000 people died from smoking related illnesses, 
many of these people began smoking when they were young. The average 
teenage smoker starts at 14\1/2\ years old and every day 3,000 young 
people become regular smokers. One-third of these will eventually die 
as a result of their habit. The work of Mrs. Hanley's class is an 
important way to make teens more aware of the dangers of smoking.
  I salute Mrs. Hanley's eighth grade class for their initiative, to 
prevent teen smoking, and help save many lives. These students from my 
district are role models. I urge my colleagues to support antiteen 
smoking programs in their districts similar to this outstanding project 
being conducted by Mrs. Hanley's class.

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