Fort Huachuca, Arizona--The Child and Youth Services School-Age Center staff held their second anti-smoking fair on March 16, Kick Butts Day.
The two-hour carnival was held to promote healthy life choices and to teach children the adverse effects of smoking.
"Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco. We're expecting more than 1,000 events in schools and communities across the United States and even around the world," according to the event website at kickbuttsday.org.
The carnival was held for children 5 to 12 and offered 12 booths and games to teach them about the risks and health consequences of smoking, said Tracy Owens, assistant director, Fort Huachuca School-Age Center.
The community health nurse and her assistants hosted a booth with information and prizes for the children. Five Soldiers assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 111th Military Intelligence Brigade, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, helped staff the booths.
"They are our sister organization," Owens said about the unit. "They help us whenever we need a hand."
Booths included: the "breath of death" where youth could smell what smokers' breath was like, a jar of tar to show what is collected by smokers in their lungs, teeth and gum displays, two smoking facts roulette games, ring and basketball tosses, a graffiti wall, video showing the effects of secondhand smoking on pets, and more.
One parent, Sgt. Maj. Lavander Wilkerson, 18th Military Police Detachment, walked through the event with his son. "It's an opportunity for Families to participate in an activity with their kids," he said. "I fully support this. I don't smoke, and I hate the smell," he added and described how he grew up with an uncle who died at a young age due to smoking and drinking.
"It's good for adults to support events like this one. It makes an impression on young minds. When kids see teens and adults smoking, they think it's cool. When they see adults … supporting activities like this one that promotes non-smoking, it makes an impression and sticks in their minds. Kids are our future. We don't want to see them succumb to peer pressure. I went to events like this one when I was a kid and they made an impression on me," Wilkerson explained.
Sgt. 1st Class Diane Ingram, HHC USAICoE, added, "If we can reach even one kid, it has an impact. I believe in helping kids. If no one reaches out and helps, then kids just fall by the wayside." Ingram has volunteered at multiple Fort Huachuca School-Age Center events.
Exposure was a key point during the carnival. Posters created by the youth showing the effects of smoking were displayed along the walls. Children had the opportunity to draw and place anti-smoking messages on a graffiti wall which Owens hopes to display at the Fort Huachuca Main Exchange.
"We want to send a message to Big Tobacco," Owens stated. "The older kids have grown up now and many have chosen not to smoke," she explained. "Now, tobacco companies are targeting young kids as replacements. We want to tell Big Tobacco to back off.
"We are trying to make the children aware that smoking is not good for them. Smoking is bad, and a lot of them won't fully understand, but the more we can expose them to [the message] and stop them from smoking the better.
"If we help one child to not start smoking, we've done something good. Another goal is for the kids to take at least one piece of information home to their parents and encourage parents who smoke to stop. If we can help just one child or one parent, we'll be happy."
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