Students speak to adults about smoking

Dana Blase
Community manager,
health initiatives
American Cancer Society
High Plains Division
Eastern Missouri Region

The Great American Smokeout is today, Nov. 20. What are your reasons to quit smoking?
In recognition of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, 260 eighth graders at Hannibal Middle School participated in a contest for the best persuasive letter written to their parents, relatives or friends asking them to quit smoking.  
The students wrote heartfelt and compelling letters and there were several excellent entries.  Two winning letters were selected; one from the Satellites team and the other from the North Star team.  Along with their letters published in the Hannibal Courier Post, the winners also will receive a $20 gift from the Hannibal Clinic Health Services as well as prizes from the American Cancer Society.
Due to the very personal nature of the letters, the winners’ names are not included.  It is our hope that every smoker will read the letters, think about their loved ones and the reasons they have to quit smoking.
Remember that most smokers will have to try several methods before they succeed in quitting, so don’t be discouraged and keep trying until you find what works for you! With all the resources available to help smokers quit, there has never been a better time to quit smoking, and the American Cancer Society is here to help.
By calling the American Cancer Society Quitline® at 1-800-227-2345, people who plan to quit will be able to speak with a trained counselor and receive free, confidential counseling.
Studies have found that Quitline can more than double a person’s chances of successfully quitting tobacco. Callers to Quitline can be connected with smoking cessation resources in their communities, social support groups, Internet resources, and medication assistance referrals.
The American Cancer Society offers other free resources – through Quitline and at www.greatamericansmokeout.org – that can increase a smoker’s chances of quitting successfully, including tips and tools for friends, family, and coworkers of potential quitters to help them be aware and supportive of the struggle to quit smoking. Studies show the importance of social support in quitting smoking, as people are most likely to quit smoking when their friends, family, and coworkers decide to quit smoking.
People who quit smoking live longer than those who continue to smoke. Smokers who quit substantially reduce their risk of premature death. The argument that it is too late to quit smoking because the damage is already done is untrue. It’s never too late to quit!

Dear Mother:
I would like it very much if you would stop smoking.  It is harder for me to breathe every day.  Did you know, second-hand smoking is worse than smoking? A pack of KOOL mild 100’s cost about $2.20.  You smoke two packs every day. That is $4.40 a day. It is $30.80 a week and $1606 a year. You have been smoking since 13.  So, that is $48,180 since you have been 13.  That is 30 years of smoking.  You could have had a new car and probably a house instead of a trailer.
If you wouldn’t have smoked your whole life you probably wouldn’t have had a heart attack or a stroke.  If you didn’t smoke you would probably have your real teeth and not your false teeth.  We could have had T-bone steak once a week if you wouldn’t have started. If Grandpa wouldn’t have smoked you probably would not have started.

Your son,
John Doe

P.S. I will never smoke because I know what it can do.

Dear Uncle:
Please stop smoking.  Because I would love to see you when I am older.  I love coming to your house in the country because of all the open space.  I also want you to stop smoking because each year about 438,000 people in the United States die from illnesses related to cigarette smoking.  I think your wife, daughter, and two sons will love to see you every day and love every minute and second of it.  If you die, who will make the best barbeque?  Who will let us go swimming in your pool and who will help Shan fix the house and take care of the kids?   Who will make money to pay bills?  Who will finish the old powder blue truck in the barn? Best of all, who will be the most fun uncle in the world to me?  Think about that the next time you light up another cigarette!

Love,
Your niece