Youth Smoking Prevention Program Offers Scholarships, Grants And More To Smoke- Free Kids Nationwide Winners include: LaVictoria (NAPSA)—Though the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System reports that smoking among high school students has dropped to 28.5 percent—the lowest in a decade—many kids each day are still lighting up for the first time to be “cool,” rebel or just Burkhatler, 14, Chicago, Ill.; Echo Brown, 18, Cleveland Heights, Ohio; Stefanie Cook, 14, Rochester, N.Y.; Mischon Dahlstrom, 17, Contesville, Ind.; Jennifer Heffernan, 19, Bradenton, Fla.; Monica Miller, 14, Youngstown, Ohio; Kentavious Robinson, 14, Atlanta, Ga.; and Shanna Sizemore, 17, Grayson, Ky. This fall, more opportunities will to fit in. Luckily, smoke-free teens nationwide are not just staying away from cigarettes—they are leading the charge to convince their peers to do the same. Thanks to the TeenH.I.P. (Teens Helping Influence People) Cool News Program, 17-year-old Brett Schoen of Downs, Kansas, will receive $5,000 in computer equipment and services for his school for writing an article that showshis peers how to say “no” to tobacco without losing their cool. The winning article, “Don’t Be a Butthead,” was published in the October 2001 issue of the school’s paper, The Dragon Times. teenh.jp. helping influence people be available for teens. Kids will vention programs in concert with their school or local organization. One TeenH.I.P. Grant winner, Stefanie Cook, an eighth-grader, plans to launch her program in concert with the Greece Central School District. Her “Teens Kicking Butts” Program includes a mural on the wall of her school. Stefanie will continue her program through the 2002-2008 school year with surveys, murals and class curriculum. Launched last year, the Grant Program offered kids ages 138-18 the opportunity to earn a $10,000 grant for creating or supporting an existing program that shows kids it’s not cool to light up. Nearly 100 students submitted proposals that were evaluated for their originality, thoroughness, Cool News is just one TeenH.I.P. program that supports kids who make smart decisions and who choose not to smoke. Another, the TeenH.1.P. Grant awarded in 2002, submissions were so impressive that all 10 teens from across the nation with $10,000 grants to develop and to launch their programsthis fall with the help of their school or a Program, recently awarded 10 execute local youth smoking pre- effectiveness andviability. Though only five grants were to be again have the chance to earn cash for college for their decision to stay smoke-free. The third-annual TeenH.I.P. Awards, launching in August 2002, is searching for students who are academic stars, demonstrate leadership in their community and who choose not to smoke. Each Award winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship for college. For more infor- mation about TeenH.1.P. pro- grams, or to fill out an online application for the TeenH.I.P. Awards beginning August 19, visit www.buttoutnow.com. TeenH.I.P. is part of Lorillard Tobacco Company’s voluntary Youth Smoking Prevention Program. The program is a corporate commitment to address the prob- lem of underage smoking on a national scale with initiatives directed at three influence areas: peer pressure, parental influence and retail access. The effort includes national advertising, finalists will receive $10,000 each erass roots communications, retail local community group. products. employee training and signage to discourage youth access to tobacco
