Be Bright Don't Light!!!

Be Bright, Don’t Light became a program of Sunrise Children’s Foundation in 2001. Working with the Clark County School District, we involve middle school and high school teachers to bring this program to our youth.

 

The NICoteen Program is an anti- smoking education program for youth, focusing on living with the addiction smoking represents.

It is okay to refuse to smoke.

Teenagers will at times feel a pressure to smoke, no matter how slight, and to engage in other behavior they may not want to. Therefore, it is very important to help youth develop "refusal skills" to give them the courage to remain true to their own desires and beliefs.

Smoking is not personally or socially desirable.

Debunk the myths that tobacco is necessary for stress reduction, an attractive appearance, and a good social life. Point out that teenagers, don't want to be near cigarette smoke.

Speaking directly to girls,

possibly in separate programs. Give them information showing the falseness of their beliefs that smoking will help them lose weight, make friends, and look sophisticated.

Smoking takes away a smoker's free choice.

Adolescents want to be in control of all areas of their lives. So show them how tobacco addiction takes away free will, particularly the ability to stop smoking, despite a smoker's desire to quit.

Smoking is not an adult habit or an effective act of rebellion.

Present the fact that only 27 percent of adults smoke to show that smoking doesn't go hand-in-hand with maturity. Tell teenagers who want to resist controls on their lives that their target shouldn't be non-smoking adults. Instead, they should rebel against anyone who wants to hook them on a habit that is very hard to break.

Dangers of second-hand smoke.

This is as another way of telling smokers what health problems they are likely to face, and it encourages non-smoking teens to make smokers feel unwelcome.

Most teenagers do not smoke.

Point out that fewer than 20 percent of teenagers smoke regularly. In fact, in California, only 5 percent do. Therefore, youth who begin to smoke because their peers do are really caving to perceived pressures from a minority.