Fourth graders can be blatantly honest, so having the opportunity to go into their classroom and talk to them about tobacco can be an education that money could never buy! The discussion forum that Word of Mouth can offer gives the students an opportunity to ask questions without pressure, particularly in those instances where a loved one close to them smokes. If a child lives in a house with a smoker, they may not feel they have the freedom to discuss tobacco, and how they feel about it at home. Many students have stories about how tobacco use touches their lives, more than one would suppose. They are deeply concerned bout how tobacco affects a mother, father, aunt, or uncle, not to mention the concern they have about how the second hand smoke might aff ect them personally.

One of the things that has struck me is their belief that most kids smoke. I was shocked to f ind out that over 25% of the fourth graders I taught had already been offered tobacco products. Now I can understand why they believe that most kids smoke. They are truly surprised when they discover through the Word of Mouth program that most kids don't smoke! You can almost visibly see them feeling relieved at this discovery. When we add the instruction of refusal and decision-making skills to the fact that “not every one is doing it," I believe that they become empowered to stand up to the pressure and make the right choices concerning tobacco use.