[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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