Around 500 cigarette butts were picked up in an hour at Lufkin’s Kit McConnico Park as students participated in the observance of World No Tobacco Day recently.
The Coalition, Inc., partnering with Angelina Beautiful/Clean sponsored the event to inform the public about the dangers of using tobacco and to encourage people to reduce or completely stop the use of tobacco products.
“Even with city ordinances geared toward preventing littering and smoking, the harsh reality is that smokers do not see tossing a cigarette butt to the ground as littering,” said Angelina Beautiful/Clean Executive Director, Jennifer La Corte. “As members of the community, each of us has the power to help keep our public spaces litter-free and tobacco-free. Together, we can make Angelina County a cleaner place to live, work and play.”
The students who participated in the cleanup are members of SAY WHAT! (Students, Adults, and Youth Working Hard Against Tobacco) sponsored by Tobacco Prevention and Control Coalition whose mission is preventing tobacco use among young people. Statistics show that each day in the U.S., more than 3,200 kids under the age of 18 smoke their first cigarette.
For more information, contact Kayla Garris at 936-634-9308 or kgarris@angelinacoalition.org
