Counseling Leadership Against Smoking Pressure (C.L.A.S.P.)
C.L.A.S.P.
is a program that utilizes high school students to educate middle school
students on smoking issues. As students mentor other students, they recognize
the responsibility they have to protect their own personal health and abstain
from using tobacco.
How does it work?
Developed with substantial input from middle and high school students, the program addresses the type of situations that students encounter and does so in their own language. Breathe California staff train a team of high school students to lead a series of four tobacco education classes at near by middle schools. These sessions include a number of tobacco control activities, such as:
- Interactive, role-playing situations/skits in which students practice resisting the types of pressures they will face
- Exploration of their attitudes and feelings about smoking
- Tobacco counter-marketing projects
- Identifying types of pressures and advertising influences related to smoking
- Strategies to resist pressures related to smoking
- Discussion of the health effects related to cigarettes and other forms of smoking (bidis, cloves, marijuana, etc,)
- Exploration of decision-making steps to help students make healthy personal decisions
What makes C.L.A.S.P. succesful?
The unique dynamic between the C.L.A.S.P. leaders and students makes the program a huge success. The high school students are able to deliver their health messages in a way in which the youger participants are able to understand and relate to. As the leaders are often admired by the middle school students, the C.L.A.S.P. leaders also bring a level of credibility to their message. Thus, the student participants more readily engage, accept and promote the anti-tobacco curricula that is presented to them.
In addition, the high school leaders are not only able take part in a fun and unique experience, they also develop their public speaking, communication, leadership and peer-mentoring skills. C.L.A.S.P. leaders also gain valuable experience which can help prepare them for college and other future endeavors.
For more information, please contact Leslie Tong at (408) 998-5865 or leslie@lungsrus.org.