My name is Dounyai W., I’m a junior at V. Sue Cleveland High School. I have been in Evolvement for 1 year and this is my first year to do ENMLT.

It is important for schools to go tobacco free so that they can support and promote a healthy lifestyle for staff and students. If the policy is promoted and supported as a normal habit, then students and staff may be discouraged to use tobacco products. As a student, the way I feel about other students using tobacco products is worrisome because it puts their lungs at risk for sickness and addiction. However, if we are able to prevent that, then we can avoid all of the negatives and face a brighter future.

I care about tobacco usage as a teenager because I have seen the negative side effects of tobacco from family members. Some used it as a stress reliever, and although it may have helped calm them in the moment, it was bad for their health. When they stopped using tobacco products, they coughed out all the residue buildup in their lungs from the tobacco. That alone, however, wasn’t the only negative side effect. Whenever they tried to exercise, it was very hard for them to breathe and it hurt. As a teenager and watching all those negative effects, I want to make a change and advocate for a healthier lifestyle.

A tobacco free policy at a school impacts a community because it endorses a healthy, addiction-free life to its staff and students that can be taught to families and spread through communities. Students will be influenced by a tobacco-free policy by observing their peers not using tobacco and thus starting a chain reaction of absence of tobacco product usage. Most of all, a tobacco-free school division involves and encourages a healthier and tobacco-free community.

1. Blog
2. Why I’m Fighting to Keep Students Away From Tobacco