[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 3, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E131-E132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
21ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA ANTI-SMOKING WRITING CONTEST
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HON. WILLIAM M. THOMAS
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, February 3, 1999
Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address an issue of great
importantance to my constituents in Kern and Tular counties, and
indeed, all Americans: teen smoking. Each year, millions of young
people begin smoking and become addicted. The question we have to ask
ourselves as lawmakers is ``why?'' Many schools have anti-smoking
programs; the health risks are clearly printed on every pack of
cigarettes; it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase
tobacco products. Why, then, if students are told in school not to
smoke, if we all understand that smoking is dangerous and addictive,
and if it is against the law for young people to smoke, do more than
one million of our children choose to begin smoking each year?
I wanted to get an accurate assessment of which anti-smoking programs
are working and which are not, so I invited fifth, sixth, seventh, and
eighth grade students in my district to submit their ideas in an essay
contest. I asked them to tell me, in their very best writing, the
reasons they might choose not to start smoking, ways in which they,
their parents, and their schools could discourage other young people
from smoking, and finally, I asked them what, if anything, Congress can
do on this issue. I read many good ideas from hundreds of students
throughout my district on all three points.
Many students proudly took personal responsibility for this decision,
saying that the decision not to begin smoking is ultimately left to
individuals. Some suggested the creation of new anti-smoking programs
in schools, such as one proposed by Eddie Mota, a fifth grader from
Panama Elementary School in Bakersfield. Eddie suggested that schools
create a program called ``Smoking Detour, so that kids won't make the
wrong turn.'' Another idea came from Ashley Cullins, a sixth grader at
James Monroe Middle School in Ridgecrest, California, who thinks that
communities should create and support anti-smoking clubs.
A lot of students pointed to their parents as the strongest
influences in making the decision not to smoke. Britney Lout, a sixth
grader at California City Middle School said that it is parents', and
not a school's responsibility to tell children the dangers of smoking.
Similarly, George Montoya, a seventh grader at Sequoia Middle School in
Bakersfield, said that parents should begin teaching their children not
to smoke at an early age.
Students presented several interesting, creative ideas as to what
Congress could do to eliminate teen smoking. Christopher Duck, an
eighth grader at Visalia Christian Academy, proposed stronger penalties
for merchants caught selling cigarettes to minors, and creating a limit
on the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. And James Margrave, a sixth
grade student at Quailwood Elementary School in Bakersfield, wants
smoking in movies and television shows to be banned. These are a small
sample of the outstanding ideas I heard from students in my district.
This is an issue that young people care about very deeply, and I hope
that any action we take will consider such options.
I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the full text of the
essays submitted by the six students mentioned above.
Smoking causes harm to your body. The tobacco in cigarettes
can turn your lungs black. Tobacco can cause you to get
cancer and heart disease. Tobacco can make you think
unclearly and unable to sleep. Smoking can make you sick and
make you die. Kids should be taught about the harmful effects
of smoking.
Schools should have a class or programs for students on the
bad things smoking can do. The classes should show the
students examples of a healthy lung and a black lung. Parents
should also teach their kids about smoking at an early age,
like eleven years. If one of my friends asked me to smoke, I
would say no because I am not a stupid person. I would tell
an adult that my friend has cigarettes.
I learned about the awful things smoking can do to your
body. I've decided I'd rather live a smoke free life and not
die young from lung cancer. I think that Congress should
raise the price of cigarettes so that kids could not afford
them. Then people would not die from smoking.--George
Montoya, seventh grade student, Sequoia Middle School,
Bakersfield, California.
Smoking is an option and only one person can make the
decision to smoke, and that's you. I personally decided not
to begin smoking because I plan on going places with my life
and if I start smoking, I won't be able to fulfill my plans.
Smoking can become a very bad habit and I don't want to make
it a personal habit of mine. My grandmother influenced me not
to smoke because I saw how addicted she got and I don't want
to be like that.
``Home is where the heart is,'' and that's where parents
should be telling their children how bad smoking can be. No
matter the age, from the beginning, children should never
want to smoke. Parents can be very skeptical about who their
children hang around, but they can't control what their
children do when they aren't around so they should be sure to
let their children know all they should know. Schools can't
search every child every day because it's useless, but every
child should have to take health classes to show just how
unhealthy smoking is. Friends shouldn't smoke around friends,
so that they can't influence others. The only thing Congress
can do to stop the use of cigarettes is to stop making
cigarettes altogether. People shouldn't be smoking, no
[[Page E132]]
matter who they are.--Britney Lout, seventh grade student,
California City Middle School, California City, California.
I believe there are many factors which influence a child to
smoke. I have decided not to use any tobacco products due, in
part to the government, the D.A.R.E. program, teachers,
school counselors, parents, and my church. The government's
programs supported my decision not to smoke. The D.A.R.E.
program taught me about drugs and ways to say ``no'' to them.
Posters and ads showing pictures of a smoker's lung and a
healthy lung helped me to realize how harmful tobacco and
drugs are. Advertisments on television also showed me some
harmful effects of cigarettes and drugs. They showed that
tar in cigarettes is the same as on the roads. My school
counselors and teachers played a big role in keeping me
from smoking. They taught me why tobacco and other drugs
are harmful. My parents set a good example by not using
tobacco products. I feel I might disappoint them if I
started to smoke. My parents and church set good examples
for me to follow. They taught by example to resist drugs.
We have had family discussions and talked about why I
should not smoke.
I have two suggestions the government can adopt to help
kids decide not to smoke. First, create mentor programs that
pair ``at risk'' kids with older, smoke-free kids to
encourage the younger kids not to smoke. Second, celebrities
can talk to children about not smoking. These people are
often more listened to than teachers, counselors, and even
parents.--Chris Burnett, seventh grade student, Earl Warren
Junior High School, Bakersfield, California
I have decided to never begin smoking and I was influenced
most by the assemblies at our school during Red Ribbon Week
for the last seven years at Quailwood, my school. I want to
become a Major League Baseball player and try to catch Mark
McGwire and his home run record and I have figured from all
of those assemblies that if I want to do that, I can't start
smoking, doing drugs, or drinking. I don't know if it was
watching the K9 unit come every year to talk to us, but since
that first assembly in kindergarten, I've decided to never
start smoking.
Even though I've decided not to smoke, some of my friends
have not. I don't want them to ruin their lives so there are
a couple of things that schools, parents, and I could do to
keep my friends from beginning to smoke. There are many
things that schools could do to help kids try not to start
smoking. When I was in kindergarten, first grade, and second
grade, a lady used to come in and show us a pig's lung that
had been around a lot of smoke, almost like a person who
smoked. It was horrible looking. She said that if we smoked,
our lungs would look like that, and no one wants to have
their lungs look like that. I think that all schools should
do that, and not only in the first three years of school, but
throughout elementary school.
Parents could also help their children not start smoking.
Parents could talk to their kids more about saying no to
smoking. Tell them how bad it is for your body and what it
does to your brain. If kids knew those things it might lessen
their chance of smoking. All parents should be good role
models. My mom and dad don't smoke and I have no desire to
smoke either. They probably had an influence on me not to
smoke. Kids might think it's O.K. to smoke if their parents
do. There are also many things I could do to help my friends
not start smoking. I could tell my friends that if they ever
started to smoke, they wouldn't be my friends anymore. I also
could tell my friends that if they ever thought about smoking
to talk to me because I'd always to open to listen to them.
I'd do practically anything to stop my friends from starting
to smoke.
Those are all things that schools, parents, and I could do
to stop kids from starting to smoke, but there are things
Congress could do to stop, or at least to reduce the use of
tobacco. They could make laws to stop advertising smoking on
billboards and in magazines. The tobacco industry tries to
make smoking look cool when it's not. Congress could make a
law that there shouldn't be smoking on television and in
movies. The other day, I saw my favorite actor with a
cigarette in his mouth. If I didn't know smoking killed you,
I'd probably want to smoke too, because then I could be just
like him. The only thing this is doing to kids is influencing
us to smoke when we get older. Another law Congress could
make to reduce tobacco use is to ban candy cigarettes and gum
that look like chewing tobacco. When kids like me see that
stuff, it's great; it tastes good, and when we get older, we
may want the real thing.--James Margrave, sixth grade
student, Quailwood Elementary School, Bakersfield, California
When I was young, I was watching the news with my mother.
It was about smoking. The program was about the problems
smoking causes. I was watching it closely and I was scared
that I was going to have those problems. Although I was
scared, I never realized how hard it was going to be to make
this decision later on. Here in the sixth grade, I know I
will never have to do this.
To help other people make the same decision, small groups
from communities need to form clubs for kids aged 11-19 years
to have fun and to be safe. In this club there should be no
smoking. This group should do things involving kids. It could
get money from donations and fundraisers.
I don't think Congress can do too much to reduce smoking.
It basically is up to the community and to each person. Some
people might disagree and even fight over this matter.
Personally I made this decision already, but some kids think
it's cool to smoke and they won't stop. Instead of arguing
over this, we need to do more educating to show kids that
smoking isn't cool.--Ashley Cullins, sixth grade student,
James Monroe Middle School, Ridgecrest, California
Tobacco has been a health hazard to America for years, yet,
even when they know its dangers, kids still choose to smoke
for the chance to be ``cool.'' Somehow, all the programs,
clubs, and classes are not getting the message through.
Hopefully, the essays being received will give Congress new
ideas that will help America become a better place.
There are many influences that have affected my decision
not to start smoking. One such influence is the warnings of
smoking's dangers. The fact that smoking can cause numerous
cancers and can cause a person to stop breathing is a
frightening thought. Being brought up in a drug-free
environment and then visiting places with a high content of
smoke has given me a good picture of the two different worlds
has given me a good picture of two different worlds--a good
enough picture to make me realize which one is the best
for me and the people around me.
I believe that there are a few ways that schools and
Congress can make a difference. I think the schools would
help if they provided a mandatory class to discuss the
dangers and consequences of smoking and tobacco. Then there
are a couple of ways I feel Congress can help prevent tobacco
use. First, Congress should pass a law that reduces the
amount of nicotine put into tobacco products. Second,
Congress should raise and enforce penalties on minors who
smoke, and on those who sell tobacco to minors. Raising the
taxes on tobacco products would only lead to more thievery
and, therefore should not take place.
I hope that these essays have given Congress a better view
of the tobacco problem, and I hope that they will put into
effect some of the ideas these essays offer. May the Lord
have His hand on this situation as we all look and pray for a
better America.--Christopher Duck, eighth grade student,
Visalia Christian Academy, Visalia, California
I see many store advertisements that encourage people to
smoke. Thanks to our Congress, there are no gun
advertisements, and Congress should be just as tough on
cigarette ads. I would say that guns and tobacco are deadly
weapons; one kills fast and the other kills slow. I think
that Congress can do many things to keep kids from smoking.
Congress and schools should make a program called ``smoking
detour,'' to keep kids from making the wrong turn. This
program would take kids on a hospital tour to visit patients
that are dying from cancer caused by tobacco. How sad it
would be to see people with tubes stuck in their noses and
pictures of rotten lungs. That sure would discourage me from
smoking.
My mom and dad are the best advertisements against smoking.
They don't smoke. They tell me, ``if you smoke, it will kill
you and it will hurt those who love you.'' Even though I live
in a free country, where I have the freedom to smoke, I don't
have the right to hurt the freedom of life. I love my family,
friends, and my life too much to smoke.--Eddie Mota, fifth
grade student, Panama Elementary School, Bakersfield,
California
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