Thursday, November 18, 2010

Great American Smokeout 2010

Smoking is responsible for more than 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States every year.

Smoking is also the most common PREVENTABLE cause of death in our society.

There is no good reason to smoke and lots of good reasons not to!

The American Cancer Society is helping us all along the path to better health by sponsoring their 35th Annual Great American Smokeout today, November 18th!

By encouraging smokers to use this date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking today, smokers across the country will be taking an important step towards a healthier life–one that can lead to reducing risk of cancer, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and heart disease.

Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you're up against, what your options are, and where to go for help.

Visit http://www.cancer.org/ for tools, resources, and more research information.


(Information courtesy of the Girls Inc. Friendly PEERsuasion program, American Cancer Society, and Tehama County Department of Education)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

She Votes! Election 2010

One of the strongest indicators that an individual will vote as an adult is exposure to the polls at an early age.

On Tuesday, October 26th our Girls Inc. girls participated in the nationwide Girls Inc. Mock Election in order to better understand the importance of civic engagement!

A special thanks is owed to the Shasta County Election Office, who donated privacy booths, an official ballot box, and "My Vote Counted" stickers so our participating girls could experience the reality of the voting process!

The ballot initiative for our election included:

- Should school vending machines sell soda?

63% voted YES
37% voted NO

Some reasons girls voted “yes”:
“Because I love soda.”
“It is not fair for only teachers to have soda.”
“A soda a day or in moderation is okay.”
“Teens need to learn how to make decisions themselves.”
“I like soda and I can’t have it at home.”

Some reasons girls voted “no”:
“Obesity rates are scary.”
“It is really bad for kids to drink soda.”
“It’s really bad for diabetes.”
“Soda is not good for your teeth and stomach.”

Other initatives added to our local ballot included:

- Should there be an enforced dress code in schools?

28% voted YES
72% voted NO

- Should sports teams depend on skill level instead of gender?

28% voted YES
72% voted NO

A total to 44 Girls Inc. affiliates and 3600 girls participated in this year's mock election--more girls than voted in last year’s presidential mock election!