Say NO to Tobacco

On February 14th, Rick Bender, a nationally recognized speaker, presented on the dangers of spit-tobacco to sixth grade students at Cabot Middle School North and Cabot Middle School South. Mr. Bender, a former minor league baseball player, began using spit tobacco at the age of 12.

At the age of 26, he was diagnosed with cancer because of spit tobacco use.  In April of 1989, he underwent the first of four major surgeries to remove the cancer.  He lost 1/3 of his tongue, 1/2 of his jaw, 25% use of his right arm, as well as almost his life.

Kelly Spencer, Health and Wellness Coordinator stated, "We are fortunate to have Mr. Bender speak to our students. We know that research indicates that the average age for tobacco users to start is 12 years old. This is why we chose to target our sixth grade students."

              

Spencer said, "Middle School students are making choices that will greatly impact longevity and quality of life. The devastating effects of tobacco are obvious in his facial appearance. Hopefully that, along with the information that Mr. Bender provided, was enough to convince students to say no to tobacco."

The Cabot School District would like to thank Katherine Donald, Executive Director of the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas, for arranging for Mr. Bender to visit our students.