Red Bay students commit to staying tobacco-free
Lamont Dupree recently visited and spoke with Red Bay High School students about the dangers of tobacco in all its forms.
Dupree is from North Alabama Area Health Education Center, and he presented interactive presentations and encouraged student participation during his presentation. Approximately 300 students in grades four through high school attended the event and learned about the dangers of not only smoking but of all tobacco-related substances.
Melanie Dickinson, the Alabama Tobacco Control coordinator and leader of Smoke Free Red Bay, opened the assembly with a staggering static. She said 480,000 people die from smoking and tobacco related deaths a year. This statistic immediately got the attention of the students.
Immediately following the presentation, students were asked to sign a banner pledging to #bethefirstgeneration to be smoke free. To help with this March 21, Junior SADD officers Landon Glover, Will West, Gracie Weatherford and Conner Humprhies, with HOSA representatives Elizabeth Markham, Brooke Shewbart and Lisa Ramirez, conducted seat belt checks and ensured there was no one smoking within their cars. Students were able to report back that no one was found smoking in the car.
