Fox Meadow Students Kick Butts at Anti-Smoking Event

The Marlboro Man died of lung cancer and so did the three models that replaced him. 

That was just one takeaway from Wednesday’s Kick Butts event at BOCES’ Fox Meadow High School in Yorktown. Organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Kick Butts Day is a nationwide event focusing on the dangers of smoking and the harmful marketing practices of the tobacco industry.

Fox Meadow teachers and a guest oncologist used alarming facts and visuals to capture students’ attention and get across one main point: don’t start smoking. And if you’ve already started, do everything you can possibly do to quit. 

Physical Education teacher Patricia Gallo encouraged students to “be brave” and fight the temptation of smoking. For those who have already started the habit, she implored them to quit while they still have their whole lives ahead of them. “If I can get through to even one student, it’s worth it,” said Gallo following her presentation.

Dr. Alfred Tinger, a radiation oncologist from Northern Westchester Hospital, described the horrors of cancer he sees every day, presenting photo after photo of diseased organs. He also translated the habit of smoking into dollars and cents, explaining to the students that if they smoked a pack every day, they were spending approximately $5,000 each year. He pointed out how much better it would be, both financially and health-wise, to stop smoking and save that amount of money in a bank account. 

Students also had the opportunity to visit a number of hands-on displays, including sample peak flow meters, a jar of tar and a diseased pig’s lung.

Shadieq Desland of Peekskill, a self-described athlete and non-smoker, felt that the doctor’s photos and the various interactive displays “really showed what can happen when you smoke.”  Nearby, Daniel Box, a sophomore from Carmel, said he liked the doctor’s presentation “because he is a professional and knows more about this than anyone.”

Jazelle Travis, a senior from Ossining, has helped set up the event for the past few years. “The program was much better this year, with the addition of Dr. Tinger’s presentation. He sees the damage caused by smoking every day,” she said. “It was great to have him here.”