On March 13 and 14th, 2003, the 8th grade students in Mrs. Dorothy Salierno's and Mrs. Linda Sokol's health classes were treated to a most unique program.

“Wow! 2 Smart 2 Smoke” is a live, interactive multi-media program designed to educate students about cigarettes and why they shouldn't start smoking.

Two actors from the National Theatre for Children based in Minneapolis, MN, converted the classroom into a game show, complete with podiums, buzzers, and onscreen questions. Each class was divided into four teams and started the game with round one, a series of questions about the consequences of smoking and methods used to get people to smoke, entitled “Who’s Pushing My Buttons?” Round two was the running of the “Kick Ash Dash,” a competitive race to test which team knew the most about smoking. Round three was the "Final Challenge,” where teams wagered points on one final question to determine a winning team.

This program was funded by the County Executive Andrew J. Spano who is committed to providing preventive measures to keep young people from smoking. Under the direction of the Department of Health, there is $2.6 million in funds from the tobacco lawsuit settlement, to provide anti-smoking messages through creative, interactive programs such as this one.

“Wow! 2 Smart 2 Smoke” left a lasting impression on the eighth graders, along with a better understanding of the negative consequences of smoking, the health risks of smoking, the methods used to get people to smoke and refusal techniques.

Published March 19, 2003