This contest has a message

Nothing would please us more in the community health arena than to see a significant decline in smoking among young people.

It is so tragic seeing our young people take up a habit that is so clearly harmful to their health and their future quality of life.

That's why we are so excited about promoting the Stamp Out Smoking coloring contest each year in the pages of our newspaper.

It is sponsored by local businesses, this newspaper, the Arkansas Press Association and the Arkansas Department of Health.

The sponsors each year contribute some outstanding prizes for children in various age groups.

Each year take the time to look at the contest and encourage your children to participate. It will be a step in the right direction in preventing your child from beginning a habit in the future that is negative in so many ways.

With that in mind, here are several facts about smoking that you may want to share with your children as part of this promotion. In essence, these are facts that people of all ages should take into account if they smoke now or are tempted to begin in the future:

*Children who are exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to have more colds and sore throats, asthma, ear infections, behavior problems, bronchitis, pneumonia and hyperactivity problems. Smoking is also extremely dangerous to an unborn child.

*Beadies are miniature cigarettes from India. They contain seven percent more nicotine than regular cigarettes. Even the leaf is toxic.

*Nicotine is a drug that causes addiction. Tobacco contains nicotine.

*Cigarettes start about 25,000 fires every year in America.

*There are about 40 poison chemicals in cigarettes. Over 4,000 chemicals are evident in cigarettes. Examples: tar, ammonia, formaldehyde and insecticide.

*Each year, 400,000 people die from tobacco-related diseases.

*Lung cancer accounts for about 30 percent of all cancer deaths.

*Tar in the lungs causes wart-like tumors. Cancer cells from the lungs can be carried by the bloodstream to the brain, liver, skin and bone.

*One cigar has as much nicotine as almost three packs of cigarettes.

*When a person breathes the smoke from a cigarette, the heart must work harder and needs more oxygen.

*Smokers pay more for life insurance and hospital bills.

*Cigarettes damage the earth's environment.

*Tar stains teeth.

*Cigarettes cause yellow stains on fingers.

*Smoking adversely affects the heart.

*Smoking causes bad breath.

*Using tobacco products may affect life expectancy and quality of life.

Surely, these are sufficient reasons for never taking up smoking. We hope our young people can continue to become educated to the dangers of smoking. Working with them on the coloring contest each year in this newspaper is a step in the right direction.

--REK