“I am not a replacement.”
That was the message scrolled across the soccer field fence last week at Schuyler Central High School.
The high school members of Family Career and Community Leaders of America, with the help of Tobacco Free Colfax County, created the message out of green, glow-in-the-dark ribbon on the fence along West Fourth Street on March 2.
The message is meant to bring awareness to the thousands of tobacco-related deaths that occur each year.
The project is part of National Kick Butts Day, a national event when people are encouraged to stop smoking and speak out against tobacco use.
More than 3,200 youths younger than 18 smoke their first cigarette each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Around 2,100 young adults who have been occasional smokers become daily cigarette smokers as they grow older.
Tobacco Free Colfax County’s pasts projects at the high school include placing 1,200 crosses on the lawn of the high school, representing each person who dies daily from tobacco use.
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