School Based Health Centers To Help Kids Stay Tobacco Free
 Family Centers’ School Based Health Centers will teach the city’s middle school students about the dangers of tobacco during a series of special assemblies to commemorate National Kick Butts Day.
In each assembly, students will hear from Stamford Hospital Pulmonologist Paul Sachs, M.D. about the health risks of tobacco. He will also discuss ways the tobacco industry uses targeted advertising to entice teens and young adults. Representatives from Stamford Hospital’s Bennett Cancer Center and the American Cancer Society will also be on hand with a number of visual aids to demonstrate how tobacco affects the body.
Kick Butts Day assemblies will be held on the following dates:
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Tuesday, March 22 from 9-10 a.m. at Cloonan Middle School
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Thursday, March 31 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at Dolan Middle School
Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco. On Kick Butts Day, teachers, youth leaders and health advocates organize events to raise awareness of the problem of tobacco use in their state or community, encourage youth to reject the tobacco industry's deceptive marketing and stay tobacco-free and urge elected officials to take action to protect kids from tobacco. Kick Butts Day is organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
Operated by Family Centers, the School Based Health Centers (SBHC) are located in six middle and high schools in Stamford and provide medical assessments, physicals, screenings, dental care, mental health counseling and other services to more than 1,150 students each year. Each SBHC is licensed by the State of Connecticut, and are staffed by nurse practitioners, social workers and dental professionals that specialize in child/adolescent health.
Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 200 professionals and 3,000 trained volunteers work together to provide a wide range of responsive, innovative programs. A United Way, Community Fund of Darien and New Canaan Community Foundation partner agency, Family Centers is a member of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies and the Alliance for Children and Families and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The agency is licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health. Visit www.familycenters.org or www.facebook.com/familycentersinc for additional information.
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