ALAMOSA — More than 250 Ortega Middle School (OMS) students recently signed a pledge to be tobacco free as part of their school Kick Butts activities.

Students signed the pledge banner displayed in the school commons area and then received a pledge bracelet. At the end of the school day about a hundred students also gathered on the school lawn to create a giant human no smoking sign. 

The Kick Butts Day activities were planned and organized by Amelia Van and Annahi Molina who are members of OMS Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). Other SADD members assisted with the activities.

Kick Butts Day is a day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco at more than 1,000 events across the United States and around the world.

SADD leaders will also be taking the fight against tobacco to Alamosa Elementary School with a poster- coloring activity highlighting things to do instead of using tobacco. “It is really important that we tell younger kids to not ever start using tobacco,” state the OMS SADD leaders. OMS SADD meets Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m. and welcomes all OMS students to participate in the weekly meetings.

Alamosa County Public Health Department Nurse Kerrie Harris, School Nurse Darcey Hansen and OMS Counselor Bill Brooks have been working with OMS SADD this school year. Call Harris at 589-6639 for more information on how you can support youth and raise awareness about the problems of tobacco use in the school or community.

Caption: About a hundred students gathered on the OMS school lawn to create a giant human no smoking sign. /Courtesy photo