We also offer a new educational video licensed for showing in schools:
The Truth About Tobacco
and
A new educational video for families
DVD
6th – 12th grades
Acclaimed as the best and most up-to-date video for families on youth smoking prevention
A Talk With Your Kids About Smoking follows CDC guidelines, and helps empower youth to stay tobacco free and drug free. View this video together with your children, and use the included Parent’s Discussion Guide to discuss and review afterwards.
This multimedia presentation has award-winning TV spots, film clips, photos and graphics, and includes a live talk by Patrick Reynolds to 1,000 ninth graders.
The video emphasizes the addictiveness of nicotine, and opens students’ eyes to how tobacco advertising manipulates youth. In this new video, tobacco ads from 2006 are shown for Camels with candy flavorings, such as ‘Warm Winter Toffee’, ‘Kauai Kolada’, and ‘Winter Mocha Mint’.
Also shown are KOOL’s cigarettes packages with drawings of hip hop artists, rappers and DJ’s on the cigarette pack. One KOOL pack even shows a youth party going on on the package.
Reynolds tells the 9th grade audience that the tobacco industry knows that 90% of all US smokers became addicted before reaching age 19, and almost no one starts after age 19 — so they have targeted youth in many ad campaigns.
The video also creates a new perception of smoking in films, and asks students to be aware that stars are setting a bad example for them every time they make smoking look cool onscreen.
A Talk With Your Kids About Smoking also motivates teens to resist peer pressure; it provides them with a clear formula for saying no. It also empowers students to make more responsible choices about drugs and alcohol.
Reynolds stresses more than once the importance of talking to others about quitting smoking or about other concerns, and not isolating. He urges students to “Stay with what’s bothering you, and talk to others about it — a trusted teacher, your parents, your friends, or the school counselor. Don’t try to solve it alone.” This is a recurring theme.
Mr. Reynolds also employs storytelling in the video. He skillfully tells the dramatic story of Sean Marsee, a promising high school track star who started using chewing tobacco in his mid teens, became addicted and died of mouth and jaw cancer at age 19. In the video Reynolds shows heartbreaking before-and-after photos of the boy, who lived in Oklahoma in the 1970’s. This section makes a very compelling case, especially to younger children, to avoid tobacco.
Reynolds also offers youth a unique, informal initiation into life. “Thousands of years ago, elders would take youth into the forest or desert and make their lives uncomfortable for a few days, depriving them of sleep or food, and putting obstacles in their path. Don’t worry, I won’t do that today,” he tells them. “What the elders were trying to say is that life will bring difficulties and obstacles, and it’s painful at times. Today, as I welcome you a little closer to the world of adults, I want to gently let you know that life brings all adults difficulties. And when the hard moments come, sadly, some turn to alcohol or tobacco — or drugs, which will destroy your life! Instead, talk to your parents, a trusted teacher, your friends, or the school counselor. Connect with another person, and together we will solve the problem.”
Studies show that today’s teens have significantly increased worries and doubts about the future. They remember September 11th, and hear about global warming, bird flu and war in the Middle East. Mr. Reynolds believes the new worry among our youth is a significant factor in teen smoking and drug use. To address this, he includes a unique section near the end of the video which aims to strengthen teens’ faith in the future. “Catch my faith that there are wondrous times ahead, and you’ll need your health, every precious bit of it, in the incredible years ahead of you. So don’t smoke, and don’t drink, and don’t use drugs — because the future is looking amazing. I close with this promise: the Smokefree society is coming one day — and it’s coming because of you. You are the future, and I believe in you.”
Rave reviews
Russell Henke, Evaluator of Health Education Materials in Montgomery County, Maryland, sent this message to Tobacco Use Prevention Coordinators in Maryland:
“I have recently reviewed and evaluated a tobacco use prevention video that I would like to tell you about, A Talk With Your Kids About Smoking, which features Patrick Reynolds. He is a grandson of RJ Reynolds, and a renowned tobacco prevention speaker at schools throughout the nation.
“This video, which shows a live talk to high school students by Mr. Reynolds, is a compelling and honest overview of the health problems caused by tobacco. The video is an excellent fit with our high school unit on tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. It meets all of our factual information objectives on tobacco use. It is the best and most up-to-date video on the topic of teen and adult tobacco use. It has no weaknesses! In my opinion, after viewing many similar videos, it is the best video available.
“As a result of our review and evaluation, we are purchasing this video for all of our high schools. We are also thinking of bringing Patrick Reynolds in to speak to our students live
and are now exploring getting sponsorship through the local County health department and/or our local hospitals. Evidently hospitals like cosponsoring, because he gets good local media
coverage, which builds goodwill for them. I feel so positive about this program that I wanted to share this information with you.”
Russell Henke
Evaluator of Health Education materials
Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery County, Maryland
Patrick Reynolds — the grandson of R. J. Reynolds — is amazingly effective: drawing on his natural charisma and the weight of his family name, Reynolds delivers a message that is both persuasive and empowering. Going beyond the usual anti-smoking patter to focus on the root causes of teenage smoking — targeted advertising and peer pressure — Reynolds paints tobacco pushers as corporate adults deliberately hoodwinking kids into trying cigarettes or snuff. Talking about positive thinking and motivation, Reynolds acknowledges adolescent fears and desires, and tells his audience bluntly, that sure, teen life is painful, but the ongoing struggle shapes character. An accompanying discussion guide offers suggestions for talking with your child (or students) about tobacco use. Highly recommended.
Video Librarian, The Video Magazine for Libraries
“This video had a huge impact on my kids. I have shown it to all of my PE kids — 6th and 8th grade — and they were enthralled. I’ve never had 42 children in a portable classroom so quietly at the same time! We were so moved that many different activities stemmed from the viewing, and I am wrapping up the Tobacco unit with two days in our computer lab, going on a virtual field trip and taking a Webquest. I am grateful for this video.”
Carol Carey, PE teacher
Dartmouth Middle School
San Jose, CA
Hospitals often sponsor Patrick Reynolds’ live talks.
Click here for who to call, and talking points.
School Library Journal’s review
“Patrick Reynolds’ father died from the product that made the family fortune — cigarettes. In this program, Reynolds, grandson of tobacco company founder R.J. Reynolds and an anti-smoking advocate and renowned speaker, addresses a high school audience. His dynamic presentation is enlivened by videos, posters, and overhead slides. Amusing and effective take-offs of popular cigarette ads catch the audience’s attention… This production, with its humor and varied format, is a powerful reminder of all the reasons to avoid tobacco and a useful resource for drug / tobacco education programs in middle and high schools.”
School Library Journal
A Safe and Drug Free Schools coordinator says:
“A Talk With Your Kids About Smoking is a powerful mix of great TV spots, live talk, photos, film clips, and excellent graphics. This video was so effective, we’re buying one for every school in our district. It will be an important part of our new tobacco education campaign. It should be in every middle and high school library.”
Linda Currier, Safe and Drug Free Schools
Drug Education Coordinator
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw School District, Fort Worth, TX
A Talk With Your Kids About Smoking
A new educational video from Tobaccofree.org
With award-winning TV spots, film clips, live talk, photos and anti-smoking graphics
A Talk With Your Kids About Smoking is a multimedia presentation which helps empower youth to stay tobacco free and drug free. This video will motivate and inspire your kids!
Emphasizes the addictiveness of nicotine
Opens students’ eyes to how tobacco advertising can manipulate teens
Creates a new perception of stars who glamorize smoking in TV and films
Motivates teens to resist peer pressure to smoke
Provides students with a formula for saying no, and gives clear examples
Empowers students to also make responsible choices about drugs and alcohol
INITIATION Reynolds offers youth his unique initiation into life.
Stresses the importance of talking about problems, and not isolating (especially useful for at risk students)
Studies show that today’s teens have significantly increased worries and doubts about the future. Mr. Reynolds believes this is a significant factor in teen smoking and drug use. To address this, he includes a section near the end which aims to strengthen their faith in the future. “Catch my faith that there are wondrous times ahead. You’ll need your health, every precious bit of it, in the incredible, amazing years before you. So don’t smoke, and don’t drink, and don’t use drugs — because the future is looking great! I close with this promise: the Smokefree society is coming one day — and it’s coming because of you.”
He makes four points during this section of his talk:
“First, talk about your worries to another person — a trusted teacher, the school counselor, or your parents and friends. It’s good to talk to another person about what troubles you.”
“Second, think positive. While it’s good to talk about your concerns, but if you have a lot of negative thoughts, also try to think more positive.” Reynolds gives examples of positive thinking.
“Third, reevaluate what real wealth is — It’s not just about material things. It’s about time we spend with family and friends, connecting with nature….”
“Lastly, catch my faith — my rock solid faith — that everything will be OK, no matter what happens! So stay tobacco, drug and alcohol free, for the wondrous, amazing years ahead of you, in this 21st Century. You’ll need your health in the incredible times that lie ahead of all of us.”
We invite you to watch our online video video / audio clip of this section: it’s Clip 5 on our clips page.
The video is divided into two parts, 20 minutes and 18 minutes; families are asked to have a discussion following each section.
A Parent’s Discussion Guide is included.
Also included: Tips to Keep Your Kids Smokefree
Award-winning TV spots, live talk, film clips, photos and graphics
Offers children a great anti-smoking website, for follow-up study: www.notobacco.org
Patrick Reynolds is one of today’s best known tobacco prevention educators.
According to former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, “Patrick Reynolds is one of the nation’s most influential advocates of a Tobaccofree Earth. His testimony is invaluable to our society.”
Mr. Reynolds’ appearances in the media and before Congress have made him a nationally known and respected champion for a Tobaccofree Earth. In hundreds of television, radio and print interviews, he has reminded millions of people of the dangers of smoking.
He’s a grandson of tobacco company founder R.J. Reynolds, but the family’s brands, Camel and Winston, killed his father and eldest brother.
In 1986 Mr. Reynolds became the first tobacco industry figure to turn his back on the cigarette companies. Since then he has devoted his life to the anti-smoking cause, and to keeping our young people tobacco free.
His recently released video for seventh to twelfth grade, A Talk With Your Kids About Smoking, won rave reviews.
Hospitals often sponsor Patrick Reynolds’ live talks.
Click here for who to call, and talking points.
