Find out how much a pack of cigarettes costs where you live and help the kids calculate how much a pack-a-day habit would cost, per week, month, year and 10 years. The average smoker spends $700 a year on cigarettes, according to the website Education World. Talk with the kids about what they could do with $700 a year. Include everything from how many video games they could buy to how much money they could have by the time they turned 30 if they invested that much every year.
Collect a bunch of cigarette advertisements and display or pass them around. Have each student write down the ways that that advertisement makes smoking seem healthy, smart or otherwise appealing. Talk about the reality behind the commercials. Instead of being athletic and strong like the Marlboro man, smoking makes it hard for you to breathe properly, preventing you from exercise. Instead of making you beautiful and popular, they turn your teeth yellow make you stink.
The Internet is a reliable source for interactive games of all sorts, including on the subject of smoking’s dangers. Kids Against Tobacco Smoke has games designed to teach children what the consequences of smoking cigarettes can be. Subjects include the effects of tar on the body, the dangers of second-hand smoke and how to make healthy life choices. Playing them will give young children with an early prejudice against smoking.
Encourage your kids to write letters to local stores, restaurants and sports stadiums asking them to ban cigarettes and cigarette ads. Make a petition to declare your school completely smoking-free if it isn’t already, and send the kids to circulate and collect signatures. Write letters to your city council about banning cigarette vending machines, which are often used by kids too young to purchase cigarettes legally. Explain to your kids that they do have the ability to make a difference with their actions.