How to Start a School Anti Smoking Program
School anti smoking programs are essential for curbing teen tobacco use because many kids are first exposed to smoking before, after or during school. You can start a program at your school to also help kids quit the habit.
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Instructions
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Speak with the school's superintendent to find out what anti smoking programs are already in place. Ideally, the school system should have both health classes and fairs that include material about youth smokers.
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Create a plan for the anti smoking program that you want to start. Consider targeting students who are between 12 to 14 years old, since that's the age group in which most teens are first exposed to smoking.
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Talk to school principals about monitoring student smoking in the bathrooms. Encourage stricter punishments for students caught lighting up, but also ask to include an educational workshop for student smokers.
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Ask to visit health classrooms to discuss the dangers of smoking. Prepare handouts for the students, but also allow them to have discussions about other ways to cope with social and academic stress. Ask the students how many of their friends smoke to get an idea of the severity of the problem in your area.
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Attend school health fairs and bring more information about smoking. Include photos of healthy lungs and smoker's lungs to help scare students away from the habit. Remember that these fairs also include alcohol and drug awareness along with general health information, so you'll need to have eye-catching material to get the student's attention.
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Be a resource for teens who want to stop smoking and hold information and support sessions after school every week or month, depending on the demand for them. Ask the school to inform parents of the support group and allow them to sign their children up for these sessions.
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Tips & Warnings
You may be able to get some funding from your town or state to start up your program.
Hospitals can be a great resource for finding informational handouts on smoking and its health effects.
Yearly letters to parents about ways to prevent their children from smoking and how to notice signs that their children have been smoking should also be included in your program if you have the time and funding.
Some schools may be reluctant to let someone from the community teach a health course, in which case you should contact state health groups and hospitals to find a professional who can come speak at the school.
