c) Do most high school students smoke?

Most high school students do not smoke. In 2001, large surveys reported by the Florida Department of Health revealed that only 19% (less than 1 in 5) of Florida's high school students smoke (i.e., only 19% smoked one or more cigarettes within thirty days of the survey). Other surveys have shown that the majority of high school seniors desire to date non-smokers and this is becoming a trend.

Project: To demonstrate the true prevalence of teenage smoking through sur-veys. Ask the class what percentage of high school students in Florida do they think smoke, 20%, 30% or 40%. Have them respond by a show of hands.
Answer: according to a 2001 survey by the Florida Department of Health, only 19%, less than 1 in 5 of Florida's high school students smoked one or more cigarettes within thirty days of the survey. The point to be made is that the great majority of middle school and high school students do not smoke and that freedom from tobacco is the norm.

Conduct a class survey on the prevalence of smoking. Distribute a card which asks the question, "Have you smoked one or more cigarettes in the past thirty days?" The student checks yes or no and does not sign the card. The cards are handed in and the results are tabulated and discussed by the class. The same exercise can be done addressing the ques-tion "would you prefer to associate with or date smokers or non-smokers? (This could be followed by a class discussion on exposure to second hand smoke; see question 18 on pgs 28-29). Discuss how to conduct a valid (unbiased) survey. (see Critical Thinking pgs 57-59).

6. a) What role do family members play in determining whether or not other family members
will smoke? Can you find an example in the Video?

Children whose parents or older siblings smoke are much more likely to become smokers themselves and they should be made aware of this increased risk. Ideally, they should be frankly informed by the smokers in their family of the health, social and/or financial con-sequences they've endured as a direct result of their tobacco addiction and of how hard it is for them to quit. On the other hand, parents and older siblings who are non-smokers can serve as strong tobacco free role models. (Someone once said, "children never do what their parents say, but never fail to copy what they do"). Loving parents can play a pivotal role in helping their children resist peer pressure to smoke by consistently instilling in them a sense of self esteem and individuality starting from an early age (See question 5b on pg 11) and by closely monitoring their children's friends.

In the Video, Eddie Hornsby stated, "One day my mother found out that I smoked and I remember sitting across from the table and she just started crying, and it hurt my feelings so much to see my mom so upset. She was a smoker. So she quit smoking because she found out that I was smoking and then, from that, I quit smoking too". (see Video Script pg 40). This was a classic example of smoking cessation through mutual family support. Why did Eddie's mother cry when she found out he was smoking? Answer: Her brother (Eddie's uncle) was dying from lung cancer due to his smoking and she saw this in Eddie's future. Furthermore, as a smoker herself, she felt that she had set a bad example for