Smokebusters, a smoking cessation group, made a stop in Lee’s Summit this week to talk to high school students about what they can do in their communities to stop teenagers from smoking.</p><p>“This year is phase two in the Smokebusters campaign,” explained Aimee Devooght, program coordinator. “Last year we introduced the program. This year, the kids are learning about the media and how they can get their message to reach a mass audience.”</p><p>Project Smokebusters is a Missouri-wide, three-year program to promote tobacco-free environments by decreasing exposure to second-hand smoke, reducing tobacco initiation and reducing use among young people. </p><p>Students from Lee’s Summit, Oak Grove, Odessa and Lexington attended an all-day event and discussed how they could make their high school campuses smoke-free. </p><p>“It’s a little different for us because the whole city of Lee’s Summit is smoke-free,” said Sammi Jo Aadland, a junior at Lee’s Summit North High School. “So we’re trying to help the other schools figure out what they can do to make their campuses smoke-free.”</p><p>“We may all go to different schools, but the message is still the same,” added LSN senior Chad Shannon. </p><p>Shannon and Aadland said they are both involved in the Bronco Smart program, which promotes high school students staying alcohol, tobacco and drug free. Other LSN students involved in Bronco Smart were also in attendance at Smokebusters.</p><p>“Smokebusters just goes along with what we promote at Bronco Smart,” Aadland said. “And Smokebusters is also really informative. My mom and family members used to smoke. I think it’s important people realize the risks of second-hand smoke too.”</p><p>“Most of these kids already know the dangers of smoking,” Devooght said. “Now they’re learning how to talk to other kids about what they know.”</p><p>Devooght said each Smokebuster group must complete three projects – a school event, a community activity and an adult activity – a year.</p><p>“Usually, students will put on a health fair or give a presentation to community members,” she said. “They also come to training days like this once a year. The goal this year was to get them to learn how the community can work together to prevent smoking.” </p><p>After learning about the different types of media available, the students were encouraged to discuss realistic options about how they could use print, TV and radio to get their message to people in the community.</p><p>“I learned a lot today and I think we’ve all gotten some ideas about how we can get our message out,” Aadland said. </p><p>“We’re going to figure out our next smoke-free project,” Shannon said. “I think we’re going to focus on turning the public parks into no-smoking zones.”</p><p>Devooght said though the Smokebusters program has been around for a few years, last year was the first time it’s been involved with a Lee’s Summit school.</p><p>“It’s incredibly important that we be as involved in area high schools as we can,” she said. “Tobacco companies are targeting their ad campaigns to students. We need to combat that as much as possible.”</p><p>To learn more about Project Smokebusters, go to www.showmesmokefree.com</p><p><i>To reach Journal reporter Emily Jarrett, call 816-282-7018 or e-mail ejarrett@lsjournal.com.</i>