Home > Letter to Teachers
Dear Teacher:
Tobacco use is a significant issue in our community. As the leading preventable cause of death, it is an area in which teachers can have a direct impact. The Centers for Disease Control cites school programs as a critical element of a comprehensive tobacco control program. This is supported by several studies that document the function of school-based programs in significantly reducing or delaying adolescent tobacco use. Because of this, the Health Department and the western Racine County Tobacco Free Coalition would like you to be aware of the results from the western Racine County Youth Tobacco Survey that was completed by middle school students during the 2000-2001 school year. The following table includes results that are indicative of the scope and nature of the problem.
Tobacco Use in western Racine County, Wisconsin
Middle school students, grades 6-8 who: Percentage Ever tried smoking 23.8% Smoked during the last month 5.3% Smoke and want to quit 60.4% Have tried to quit and failed (started again within a month) 37% Smoked on 20 or more days during the past month 1.6% Ever used smokeless tobacco 8.5% Are exposed to second hand smoke at home 42.5% Know that tobacco is a harmful substance 92.5% Never had a parent talk to them about the dangers of tobacco use 26.9% Practiced ways of saying NO to tobacco in school 35.3% Smoked on school property 1.3% Additional report information is available at http://www.orghealth/wrc or from the Health Department While adult smoking has generally been decreasing throughout the country in recent years, the trend has slowed or stopped. In contrast, smoking among kids increased steadily throughout much of the 1990s. Although national underage smoking rates finally dropped slightly from 1997 to 1998, they remain at historically high levels. Over the past ten years, the number of kids under 18 in the U.S. who become new daily smokers each year has risen by more than 70 percent. The situation is much the same in western Racine County.
Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined -- and thousands more die from other tobacco-related causes -- such as fires caused by smoking (more than 1,000 deaths/year nationwide), exposure to second hand smoke (more than 40,000 deaths), and smokeless tobacco use. No good estimates are currently available, however, for the number of western Racine County citizens who die from these other tobacco-related causes, or for the much larger numbers who suffer from tobacco-related health problems each year without actually dying.
And what are the results of tobacco use locally? Look at the impact in the state of Wisconsin. Each year 7,800 people die from smoking. The number of Wisconsin kids now under 18 who will die from smoking (if current trends continue) is 117,000.
According to the statistics, there is an alarming increase in tobacco use from middle school to high school. Based on the finding for western Racine County, the percentage of children smoking can be expected to increase from 5.3% to over 30%. Clearly, the middle school years are a critical time for youth in making decisions about tobacco use.
As a teacher you can make a difference in reducing these risk behaviors. The results may suggest to you ways in which you can have a direct impact. Teachers nationwide have taken action based on similar results by:
. Teachers have a profound influence on their students. Studies have shown that teachers are almost as influential as parents in role modeling appropriate behaviors. Set an example for your students by promoting a healthy lifestyle that does not include smoking. If you smoke, consider quitting.Being a Role Model
Using the findings as material for classroom lessons. Practicing saying NO to tobacco in class is the least of the ways to incorporate tobacco risk reduction into the curriculum. The results of the current study provide substance for lessons in virtually ever subject. The material has immediate implications for assisting students in developing critical thinking skills and can also serve to enhance opportunities for promoting lifespan developmental tasks.
Engaging students outside the classroom. The results suggest a need to involve students outside the classroom. There is an urgent need for facilitators and sponsors of smoking cessation programs. A majority of the teens using tobacco want to quit and cannot. Cessation programs offer the strongest method for assisting these students. Many teachers will be remembered by their students for many years after they have left the classroom. This is an opportunity to be remembered for a very good reason, and over the course of a longer lifespan.
Becoming an active force in the community. There are a variety of programs and services designed to prevent tobacco use and to help those who are already using to quit. There are also opportunities to increase public awareness about this issue
The staff of the Health Department provides health information, surveillance data, and program resources. The community health threat caused by youth smoking is one that requires not only the Health Department and the western Racine Tobacco Free Coalition, but also the active involvement of all members of the community, including teachers.
Tobacco use is the single leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The best time to prevent or stop smoking is as early as possible. Please consider acting on this information. You can make a difference.