Fuschillo And Mcdonough Teach Newbridge Road Students To Say “no” To Tobacco

     State Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (8th Senate District) and Assemblyman David G. McDonough (19th Assembly District) recently visited Newbridge Road Elementary School in North Bellmore to teach 4th and 5th grade students the importance of saying “no” to tobacco.

     “Children are the number one target of tobacco companies who are looking to attract new smokers. We must teach students at a young age that smoking is a dangerous and deadly addiction, which is why it is so important to say ‘no’ to tobacco,” said Senator Fuschillo, a member of the Senate’s Health Committee and the author of New York State’s Clean Indoor Air Law.

     During the presentation, Senator Fuschillo and Assemblyman McDonough asked the children a series of true/false questions about the effects of smoking to help them learn some of the common facts about tobacco use. Senator Fuschillo and Assemblyman McDonough also showed the children household products, such as nail polish remover, ant & roach spray, moth balls, antifreeze, and batteries, that have some of the same chemicals found in tobacco.

     At the end of the program, Senator Fuschillo and Assemblyman McDonough gave “no smoking pledge packets” out to the students. The packets inform children about the harmful effects of smoking, and contain a pledge that they can sign along with their parents to promise to commit to a healthy, tobacco free lifestyle.

     Youth smoking remains a serious problem in New York State. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, almost 25,000 New York State children under the age of 18 become new daily smokers each year. In addition, children buy or smoke over 36 million packs of cigarettes each year in New York State alone.