Event helps CFHS students 'Kick Butts'

SANDPOINT — Everyone knows that it’s better to show than tell.

Clark Fork High School student Desiree Westphal did just that in educating her peers on the health risks of smoking Wednesday evening. The Kick Butts event, hosted by the local Teens Against Tobacco Use team in a partnership with the American Lung Association, highlighted the repercussions of smoking using visual tools and an entertaining atmosphere. Westphal organized the event as a part of her senior project and plans to continue the education campaign at regional elementary schools.

“I think the night went really well,” she said. “I’m excited to bring the presentation to some of the younger kids around the area.”

Westphal struck upon the idea when she learned that the high school’s Idaho Drug Free Youth organization wasn’t able to put on any events this year. Because the state now requires seniors to complete a project before graduation, she decided to take up the torch.

“Desiree has a strong sense of moral values, so she wondered if she could get involved,” said teacher Delores Matthews, who served as Westphal’s faculty advisor for the event.

Kick Butts got started in the Clark Fork High School cafeteria by organizing the area into stations. Attendees were free to move from station to station, learning something new about the impact of smoking along the way. One demonstration showed the visual difference between a healthy pig lung and one stained by tar and nicotine. Another used BBs to demonstrate the frequency of deaths due to tobacco use. Organizers also showed the various chemicals and ingredients in the average cigarette before blending them together into a disgusting concoction.

“My classmates were really surprised about how many deaths occur from tobacco use and what happens in the body because of it,” Westphal said. “It was basically shock and awe.”

For each station teens visited, they received a stamp in a passport. Individuals with a full passport were able to exchange them afterward for incentives. The cigarette-shaped mascot Mr. Ciggy Butts also added levity to the presentation.

“I thought the kids reacted very well to the presentation,” Matthews said. “It turned out to be a great night.”