Legacy High School students tackle the dangers of nicotine through games and education

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - During National Take Down Tobacco Day, students at Legacy High School held their Cloud Free Carnival to play games as student leaders helped to spread awareness about the dangers of nicotine use.

Kayla Tiffany is a senior at Legacy High School advocating for a healthier future for herself and her classmates.

Kayla and her family have a personal connection with the long-term results of nicotine use.

“I’ve had three of my grandparents pass away from lung cancer and throat cancer due to cigarette use. And just watching that happen, it really just opened my eyes to the dangers of it,” said Kayla.

Those experiences led Kayla to become a leader at her high school, serving as vice-president of Legacy’s Tobacco Prevention Group, Stop the Cloud.

At Tuesday’s event, students played games while also learning about the potential dangers of nicotine use.

While a small percentage of North Dakota high school and middle schoolers smoke cigarettes or use smokeless tobacco, a larger percentage— nearly 8% of middle school students and 18% of high schoolers— have turned to vapes with colorful and cartoon packaging and attractive flavors.

“At the same time, youth are seeing this and associating it with something that’s good, but actually they don’t know about the harmful chemicals that are inside these products,” said Alexis Raymond, Tobacco Prevention specialist for Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health.

Through fun and educational events like the Cloud Free Carnival, students like Kayla have a goal in mind.

“My goal with doing stuff like this, participating in Stop the Cloud and the Break Free Youth Board, is to hopefully be a part of the very first smoke-free generation,” said Kayla.

Each year, more than a thousand North Dakotans die from commercial tobacco-related illnesses.

The Bismarck Tobacco Prevention Summit will take place in October.

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