Northwest Halifax holds T.A.T.U. mini-carnival

The Northwest Halifax High School T.A.T.U. (Teens Against Tobacco Use) peer educators celebrated Kick Butts Day on Thursday, April 2, a nationwide initiative that makes kids leaders in the effort to stop youth tobacco use.

As part of the celebration the T.A.T.U. peer educators set up a mini-carnival in the Viking Den, which is located near the cafeteria for students and staff to enter during all lunch periods.

The peer educators set up many different booths. The All U Need 2 Know booth had information about the harmful chemicals found in tobacco products and how secondhand smoke is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The Body Scramble booth was a game set up to teach the players the effects that tobacco has on the body.

The Smoke Shorts Be Short booth educated students and staff how smoking can stunt growth. Smoking can cause the bones harm directly by toxic chemicals that travel from the lungs, through the bloodstream. Nicotine (the addictive drug in tobacco), carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide (two gases that rob your body of oxygen). TRU (Tobacco Reality Unfiltered) Balloons booth was a favorite; it had TRU or false facts about tobacco and players got the opportunity to pop a balloon if they answered correctly.

The Cost of Smoking booth was a game where the players learned how expensive the habit of smoking a pack a day or more added up weekly, monthly and yearly. The Kissing booth had a twist when two students hid behind a curtain and revealed their stained, yellow teeth and gross mouths displaying the consequences of using chewing tobacco, dip and snuff which is not a safe alternative to smoking.

The Quit booth had quitting tips, brochures and information on the North Carolina Quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). The Quitline is free and confidential for youth and adults from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m., seven days a week.

There was also a Relay For Life booth where students and staff made donations to help support cancer research. Two other booths were on hand, and the face painting and non-smoking symbol tattoos were fun, as well as taking pictures with the T.A.T.U. peer educators mascot Mr. Ciggy. There was lots of fun, and learning, with clowns giving out treats, along with raffles.

Halifax County School’s teen tobacco prevention activities are funded by a grant from the N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund.