ENTHUSIASTIC REACTION GIVEN TO CITY'S SMOKE-FREE CLASS OF 2000

A nationwide program aimed at keeping youngsters from using tobacco products has garnered an enthusiastic response in Cape Girardeau.

Lauchette Low, a member of the Vision 2000 Community Relations Council, said the program targets students who will graduate from high school in the year 2000.

"The idea was to bring the spotlight to this class so they could be leaders in the smoke-free new generation," Low said.

Nationwide, a coalition of the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and American Lung Association has "graduated" the tobacco-free students each year since their first grade.

In Cape Girardeau, Vision 2000, St. Francis Medical Center and the Southeast Missouri Cancer Coalition has joined the group to sponsor Cape Girardeau's class of 503 third-grade students from the city's private and public schools.

Low said the participation in Cape Girardeau exceeds that of many larger cities.

"We visited the graduation ceremony in St. Louis, which was excellent," she said. "But in other cities, only certain children are chosen for the program because they don't have the resources to accommodate all the children."

Low said 4,000 students participated in the smoke-free graduation ceremony in Kansas City and 1,000 were part of a ceremony in St. Louis.

"In St. Louis, only a fourth of the children had T-shirts because they couldn't afford them," she said. "In Cape Girardeau, we bought every third grader in the city a T-shirt."

"Many, many children wanted to have a part in the St. Louis program, but they didn't have a place to accommodate them."

Low said cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City also aren't able to plan many activities and events for the students because of the sheer number of children.

"Our program is more games and fun," she added. "That's one of the nice things about being a smaller city."

Thanks to St. Francis Medical Center, this year will mark the first time a graduation ceremony has been held for the smoke-free "class of 2000."

"These children take a pledge at the beginning of each year to stay smoke free and tobacco free," Low said. "Then they have a graduation at the end of the year. But Cape has never had one until now."

Low said that when she asked St. Francis representatives if they'd be interested in sponsoring the event, she was delighted at their response.

"I simply asked St. Francis if they would do the graduation and they said, `Oh yes, we'd like to do it every year until 2000,'" Low said.

She said St. Francis also will commemorate the class each year until they graduate from high school by adding annually to a tree garden. The hospital also has promised to award one graduating student with a scholarship to attend Southeast Missouri State University.

This year's smoke-free graduation ceremony is scheduled for June 1 at the St. Francis game field, with Jim Burns of KFVS-TV serving as master of ceremonies. If the weather isn't cooperative, the event will be moved to Houck Field House, Low said.

"The graduation ceremony will be a small part of the day," she said. "The American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association will have games and activities and awards for the children."

A St. Louis rap group, featuring four seventh-grade students has been invited to perform a "smoke-free rap."

"There will also be refreshments and just a lot of things for the children and their parents to enjoy," Low said.

"No place in America is doing this. I just can't get over how everybody in Cape Girardeau is so enthusiastic. The teachers and administration also have really helped."

Low said Joyce Barylski, Susan Vickery, Judy Strickert and Mary Hiler, who head a group of parents of students in the class of 2000, have helped schedule and conduct events and activities.

But she said the program wouldn't be successful without one key ingredient: "The kids really think it's neat," Low said.

"Most of them didn't even understand what the class of 2000 meant when we started, but now they're finally catching on. It's a real joy to see."

She said the third-grade students have learned the dangers of using tobacco products, particularly cigarettes.

"They've learned from the program that they could be tobacco free and it doesn't matter, if some adult blows smoke in their faces," Low said. "Most of them are just now beginning to realize how harmful smoking is, even if it's the second-hand smoke from others."

Low said it's important to begin early to educate a group of students like the class of 2000, who then can influence younger students.

"Some people can see only the negative, and they say, ~~~`Gee, what about the kids who will graduate in 2001 or 2002?'" Low said. "But the point is, if this class accomplishes something, maybe they'll set an example for the other classes to follow.

"If you start early enough and you scare the heck out of them, I think you can really discourage them from ever starting (smoking)."