[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 24, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H1671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Roukema) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring to the attention of our 
colleagues and our people in the country to the outstanding anti-
smoking program that the faculty at the Byrd Elementary School in Glen 
Rock, New Jersey, is providing for their students in cooperation with 
the New Jersey Breathes organization.
  The highlight of the program was a school-wide assembly that I had 
the privilege of attending on Monday, March 22d, and during that 
assembly a 5th grade student, Katherine Sommer, was honored as the 
winner of a composition contest conducted as part of the anti-smoking 
effort.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to read this winning essay so that my colleagues, 
their children and their grandchildren can benefit from the direct and 
lucid way that Katherine Sommer expressed her wisdom on the issue of 
smoking and young people. My reaction was, ``out of the mouths of 
babes''.
  Here is her essay. It was entitled ``Don't Smoke''. Katherine Sommer 
began this way:

       Things can happen. Some things can't be helped. Some things 
     can. Some people die of old age, heart attacks, and many 
     other things, but a lot of people die a long, horrible death. 
     They die of smoking. It could happen to you if you make one 
     bad decision. Think of it this way. If you choose to smoke, 
     you will be doing something really stupid. You could get very 
     sick or even die. That wouldn't be worth it, would it? The 
     worst part is it would be all your own fault!

  Mr. Speaker, I want to remind my colleagues that Katherine Sommer was 
speaking to her classmates.

       Some teenagers and young children start smoking for some 
     really silly reasons. Some kids may want to join a popular 
     group at school, and think smoking will make them look older. 
     Some girls think smoking will make them look cool and boys 
     will like them even more. What they do not know is if what 
     happened on the inside of your body happened on the outside, 
     you would look really ugly.
       If you think that most kids smoke, you're wrong. The 
     average kid doesn't smoke. And if you're anywhere near 
     average, you won't either. You could really hurt yourself. 
     You could get lung cancer, throat cancer, gum cancer or lip 
     cancer. These are only some of the horrible diseases that you 
     can get from smoking. And think, you could die just from 
     trying to be cool.
       Another reason you may start smoking is that a family 
     member or really good friend may already smoke. You might 
     think that it's harmless. You may think, I'll try one smoke, 
     and if I don't like it I won't have any more. Well, it's not 
     that easy. Smoking is addictive. That means that once you 
     start something, you can't stop. Once you try it, it could be 
     too late.
       I do not intend to smoke. You shouldn't either. Don't let 
     anything interfere with your dreams. Just don't try smoking. 
     It's not healthy.

  That was Katherine Sommer, 5th grade, winning essay in Glen Rock, New 
Jersey. Again I want to say to my colleagues, out of the mouths of 
babes, a message for the ages.

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