Girls at Marymount School of Paris have just completed work on their Bronze Award. Because smoking cigarettes is still so prevalent in Paris, troop 23 girls felt it was very important to reach out to their schoolmates with an anti-smoking message. After researching their options, girls decided to roughly follow a program laid out by “Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids,” called “Kick Butts Day.” http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/index.php
There’s a double meaning there – Kick Butts, as in “face the enemy, head on,” and kicking the habit of smoking – the butt of a cigarette.
The girls decided to hold their event during school hours, to maximize their exposure to classmates. They got permission to skip their weekly 1.5-hour PE class. Pairing this with their lunch break, girls were able to hold their event during the 1st-8th grade lunch breaks. The result? Hundreds of attendees!
First, students were “teased” with the message “181 France.” This represents the number of people who die daily in France due to tobacco-related issues. Students saw posters all over school and were given stickers to wear – both reading “181 France.” They had no idea what it meant, but over the afternoon announcements, students were challenged to head to the courtyard during lunch the next day to find out.
When they arrived, students found a host of anti-smoking activities awaiting them.
Children lined up to “Kick the Habit” – where students were required to hear information about the detriments of smoking before kicking a ball to bowl over soda cans, decorated as cigarettes.
Girl Scouts couldn’t keep up with the students in line at “Fishing for the Truth.” Here, students fished for an anti-smoking fact using a magnetic pole and magnetized fact cards. After fishing and reading, they were given bubbles, with a sticker reading “Blow bubbles, not smoke.”
The courtyard was decorated to remind students of the grim fact that people die as a result of tobacco use. One decoration: a building-long banner of 1,267 handprints, the number of people who die weekly in France – one print for each life lost. Another disturbing decoration: tombstones with false names, with an epitaph that they died of tobacco use.
Particularly informative was the booth where students found out exactly what was in a cigarette. Just a few disgusting examples: formaldehyde (which is also used to preserve dead bodies) and cadmium (which is also found in batteries.) YUCK!
After learning how totally disgusting a cigarette truly is, students were invited to “Face the Truth.” Kids made their most “I think cigarettes are completely gross” face for a camera. Pictures were then downloaded and looped to a slideshow for all participants to enjoy.
The event was a total success. Not only did the girls make a huge impression on the student community, so many parents and teachers were intrigued by the teaser, that they also came to find out what “181 France” meant. Now that’s impact!