Today 5 schools participated in the conference “Tobacco: A True Story.” This conference was hosted by TETN in support of the Great American Smoke Out. The presenter was Keisha Leatherman, from the Tarrant County Department of Health. The conference discussed the toxins of cigarettes,  what smoking and smokeless tobacco can do to the body, and ways to refuse tobacco. This was geared towards 4th- 6th grades.

This conference was very informative, even for me. After watching this I don’t know why anyone would start smoking. Did you know that cigarettes contain some of the same ingredients as rat poison, toilet cleaner and gasoline? If they put THAT on the label it might actually be a deterrent.

Students from some schools were able to ask questions. I had one school that was interactive. They asked some great questions. “Why does your breathe stink when you smoke?” The response…”Because it’s just nasty.” The presenter did expound, but I think that sums it up.

Second question, “Why is it legal?” Isn’t that a great question? Bottom line, because money is more important than health. Of course, the presenter put it much better than that.

This was a great conference. I’m really glad that we had some schools participating. If it keeps one or two students from starting to smoke, then it was well worth it. Kudos, TETN and Gerri Maglia, for offering such a beneficial program.