Life In Smoke

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My name is Aria. I am the baby in the camera. Doesn’t she look precious? I was born into a loving family... Copyright © 2021 Alyson Yee. All rights reserved. This comic book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination. You can reach me or download a digital version of this comic book at https://lifeinsmoke.com.

And the beginning years I had two best friends growing up. of my life was perfect... Aha! You won’t beat me! Look guys, I’m a queen! We would always play together. We all went to the same school together. This is Claire... ⓘ On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers. And Hannah.

This is my family. My dad was a Oh my children’s book gosh, a dog! illustrator. I’m going to ⓘ Most states will name him collect $27.2 max. billion to fund tobacco cessation programs, but will spend less than 3 cents on the dollar to actually prevent tobacco use. My mom is an For my 8th birthday, I got a dog. medical assistant, but she wants to be a nurse. As I grew older, max was with me. everything was going great until... What do you mean you got laid off?! My dad told my mom that he was laid off and they got into an argument.

I promise to look for a new job. Don’t worry about night school or aria’s college fund, okay? We’ll be okay, I promise. My dad told my mom not to worry. My mom went to night school because she wanted to become a nurse. It was expensive, but we managed. However, My dad ⓘ Smoking was soon is the struggling with leading finding a new job cause of as an illustrator. preventable deaths in the U.S. So he started smoking a lot. Then, I began to struggle in An addiction he picked up as a kid school. resurfaced as a way for him to cope with reality.

What’s with these grades? Why have you been failing your classes? I’m sorry mom... Let me see... Mom, I have been struggling in class. “Sorry isn’t going to cut it. You know the school offers free tutoring after school.” If you keep this Hey up, you’ll end up that’s not jobless like your father. You need to pass middle fair! school and high school in order to get a good job! ⓘ Smoking affects work productivity and Smokers are 24% less likely to be hired for jobs.

Max, let’s go to my room... As my parents started to fight, I took Max to my room to escape. It’s okay, Max. Don’t worry... Max’s and I’s favorite spot Don’t was the tent in my room. smoke here! This is was our sanctuary. What about next month?! We can’t pay for the mortgage. ⓘ Secondhand smoke is the smoke exhaled by smokers & contains >7,000 chemicals, 70 of which can cause cancer. The next morning...

Oh just leave me alone! It’s fine... ⓘ Smokers can be irritable and anxious if they haven’t smoked in a while. Everyday for the rest of the 8th We’re getting a grade year, my parents would divorce, Aria. fight whenever they saw each other. So during the summer of 9th They sold our house. grade, my parents got divorced... If i was And I moved into an better, would my apartment with my mom. parents still be together?...yes. I’m the reason they started fighting and now they’re divorced.

Everything went back to normal...sort of. ⓘ Nicotine is a highly dangerous and addictive chemical, which is in tobacco products. But During my new classes, I began to sleep in class. My friends started to get worried... Hey, is You can tell something us anything! wrong? You’ve We’re your been distracted best friends recently... and we’re worried about you.... How could I tell them the real reason I was distracted? How could I tell them if I Oh I’ve was better, my parents just been would still be together? really tired because of No, they wouldn’t understand. the Afterall, they have excessive perfect families... amounts of homework assigned... that’s all...

Oh guys, I my mom only really talked to need to go see Ms. me through notes on the fridge, so I felt pretty Kim about lonely at times. something... So, I made an excuse about needing to see a teacher and left my friends... Aria? ⓘ If states spent the recommended level (15%) for Tobacco cessation programs, youth smoking rates would be 3% to 14% lower nationwide. But One day when I ordered Dad? dinner, a surprise arrived at the door for me... Dad, it’s you! Come in and eat with me...mom’s not here... Up until this point, I had not seen my dad since the divorce. it was like he disappeared from my life completely...

I’m going outside to smoke, okay? After eating, my dad made an announcement... Fine, I’m coming! Yes, I’ll deliver the rest of the pizzas... ⓘ Teens are more convinced to smoke if their parents are current smokers. I need to go now, Aria. I’ll see you another time... Dad?

Don’t you Oh dare! Smoking one time will hurt you! won’t hurt... Should I try it? ⓘ Nicotine I need to hide the releases cigarettes before mom dopamine, which gets back... makes us feel good, giving us temporary relaxation. My curiosity overpowered all my thoughts. I found that Smoking was addicting, it made me forget my worries... As time wore on, Max became my only friend... ⓘ dogs have more eye infections, allergies and higher chances of getting lung cancer if you smoke around them. And so, I hid the cigarette box my dad left behind.

My friends So I left. It’s not like were talking they would miss me, about things i right? couldn’t relate to... Hey mom? Hmmm...we’ll Can I visit see, if your dad on the weekends? father’s okay it, then maybe. One day, I asked my mom if I didn’t just visit my dad I could see my dad.... because I loved him...but because... ⓘ Smoking Aria! can cause sleeping problems like insomnia, snoring and sleep apnea. I needed to steal But One day, I was caught cigarettes from my sleeping in class.... dad. Cigarettes were the only thing that would relax me...temporarily.

Why am I so tired? I already smoked today, so I shouldn’t be tired... Sorry Mr. ⓘ smoking interferes Alright, but Q, it won’t with teens’ attention please be quick... happen again. span and learning. Can I use the restroom? As I smoked, my mind relaxed... But as soon as I asked, they silently tried to make their way to the exit. I needed to know what they were. When I finished, I saw Hey, two girls fiddling a don’t leave! modern-like cigarette. They look so similar to cigarettes! ⓘ native Americans and Pacific Islanders make up almost 1/4 of u.s. teens who use tobacco. Hey, what’s that? So I was curious...

This is a vape pen. They are like cigarettes, but so much more easily accessible. Yeah, Her my favorite ones brother in are disguised into college buys school supplies. them for us online. ⓘ The #1 reason Yup, teens vape is and we sell them because they to first-timers know someone who also for $15. vapes. Yeah my favorite is strawberry... Hmm...I Well did Here’s my don’t know... you know number and there’s so contact me when Ooh...that you want to buy many some vapes. seems flavors? interesting... ⓘ The vaping industry uses over 15,000 flavors to convince teens to vape. Me, being naive, wanted to try new flavors. My curiosity once again overpowered me.

My first vape pen got The different me hooked. flavors were really addicting. Eventually, I began to steal money from my mom to feed my cravings. ⓘ The #2 Where’s Reason Max? He always teens vape are because waited at the of the wide door for me.. range of flavors to choose from. Until One day.... Max wasn’t in the kitchen I eventually found him in sleeping... our tent...

The coughing and Loss of Mom appetite continued for weeks. please! Max Weeks soon turned what seemed like eternity. has been suffering for a while! Fine, we can see the vet next week... Max young? The doctor is ready for you... So we went the vet the next week after my mom moved our savings around. Here, wait Hi, I’m dr. in this Mark. It’s a nice room, the to meet you doctor will all..is this Max? be with you Hmm... shortly. Smoke? Of How ⓘ More course not, it’s strange, a than 16 so harmful to cough. Does million anyone in Americans smoke! your family have a disease smoke? caused by smoking. Should We need I say to run tests. I something?... recommend a no. chest x-ray.

How It will cost much does an $300 and I believe x-ray cost? And we have an opening when will I know the results? today. The results will come back in a couple of days. Okay, I We can need to talk to my only afford the daughter for a x-ray, nothing moment...but we will more. But have the x-ray today. mom, what if they find Alright, I’ll go set it something... up. Alright, come with me to the next room for the x-ray. Come back at ⓘ Deciding After the x-ray... least one to two not to smoke Your dog has around your lung cancer as days for the pet does not shown In the x- results. save them. Third hand ray. smoke, where tobacco smoke toxins stick your clothing, can still come into contact with your pet. Okay, let’s The next week... go, Aria. We’ll go pay for the x-ray out front.

Lung Surgery cancer?! How would cost $10,000, and of much would course, there’s no surgery cost? guarantees. ⓘ Short to Mom, I’m medium nosed you need sorry dogs are more to save Aria. You likely to might need develop lung him! to be ready cancer when to say exposed to goodbye... second hand smoke. $10,000?! Are Max, please you sure?! get better I...need a moment okay? to talk to my At home... daughter... Every night, I would dream about Max getting miraculously better. Everything would be alright.

Max, try to eat please. However when I woke up, Max Two months later when I was still the same as before. came home from school... ⓘ According to Yes Aria? a study from Colorado State University, dogs living with smokers had a 60% higher risk of developing lung cancer. Max? Oh Max, wake up! Mom? Please don’t leave me, I need you! Mom, you need to come home right now. Max just died and he’s all cold...Mom please, I don’t know what to do. He’s all cold... Max just died? You need to wait, I’m stuck at work right now. I’m sorry honey, I’ll come home as soon as possible.

Oh my god, I need to go Aria! Bye! ⓘ One juul pod has the amount of nicotine equal to a single pack of cigarettes, or 200 puffs. I grabbed a vape pen ready to I couldn’t stop shaking. use it however... I then grabbed my phone and Omg, found something terrible. did Max die because of second hand smoke? Please, let I-I- this be a bad didn’t kill dream, I need him...right? to go to my No..I did. happy place... I hoped this was a bad dream that I would eventually wake up from...Max didn’t die because of me...

Can i come in, Aria? Hey My mom didn’t know I smoked honey, I’m and vaped, so I hid those under sorry. I know the covers in the tent. how much Max But we meant to can’t afford you... to bury or cremate Max. We simply don’t have the savings... What do you mean? How else will I say goodbye? ⓘ Globally, 7 He will million deaths are have to be caused by tobacco use annually, and thrown by 2030, more than away in the 8 million people will die yearly garden from tobacco use waste...I’m at the current rate. sorry... You I’m sorry don’t Aria... understand! How could You never you do have! this?! It’s all my fault Max died.

Look Aria, I’m It’s not like I didn’t try sorry. But Max to get my mom to bury will forever be in Max.... our hearts... Later in the Why can’t night... you just not give me lunch money for a while? You are the It was in these most moments of utter despair that I wished important I could go back.... thing to me. I know Max is important to you, but I can not let you skip lunch and dinner. We are ...To when things barely were perfect. making it each week. ⓘ Tobacco kills up to half of its users. Hey mom?

Aria, your Honey stop, dad has... smoking’s not good for you! Okay, I will. Lung cancer. And It’s all my fault! If I stopped him from smoking earlier, saved our marriage, then this would have never happened.... I told my mom that it wasn’t Why Like sure, you her fault and hugged her. As does life can’t control I hugged her, I couldn’t help certain things, but but wonder... suck? after a while, you think life would give you a break... ⓘ Each day, about 2,000 teens smoke their first cigarette. 300 teens each day will become daily smokers. Like little did I know, my parents would divorce the summer before I started high school...

And that I would kill Max because I smoked and vaped. Or that I Why would smoke am I so and vape. alone? How did my life end But there was a note up so attached to my badly? report card. I decided to see It certainly did not help ⓘ There is mr. Clark. that my grades took a no safe But How turn for the worse. level of could a exposure to person I second hand never smoke, met help which will me? cause 1.2 million Oh, premature ummm...not deaths a year. really. Hello! Aria, right? What should I just wanted to ask I have said you if you are instead? That my dad struggling with has lung cancer, I anything at home. killed my dog and my mom cries at night?!

I just wanted to let you know that we are here for you! We know that starting high school is tough... ⓘ Many You see, in high school, I teens don’t didn’t really have friends... realize that there’s Now, why nicotine in mister do vape pens, you smell because it’s advertised like as vape alcohol? juice. But Then there was My first taste got Until I was caught this party where I me hooked. After by a teacher. was offered a that party, I beer. I wanted to began to start say no, but didn’t drinking because I wanted heavily. to seem cool. This Oh no teacher and problem at all, mr. another Clark. I’ve counselor just been helped me watching too fight my addiction to many tv shows at alcohol. What I’m night... saying is that, My life we want to is too embarrassing help you. So, is for anyone there anything to know... you are struggling Hmm... with? alright...

Okay thanks, Wait, I bye mr cla- wasn’t done. You need to find a tutor Umm..that’s really and we need to have a meeting not necessary. But face-to-face with one of your alright... parents...how does next Tuesday sound? ⓘ About 1.69 billion pounds of cigarette butts are littered yearly, making it the most littered item on earth. Well, Mom?! bye mr. What are Clark! you doing Bye home so aria, see you next early? week! Oh, they let me come home early... Later at home...

Aria, we Aria! Just need to tell me why and talk. how... Why did I felt bad that I find these I lied, I in your just room? made things worse. Those So I told her. I told aren’t her the curiosity, mine... the guilt, and the I couldn’t think of loneliness. She anything truthful...so I wasn’t happy that I just lied. smoked and vaped, but she hugged me afterwards. ⓘ smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths a year in the U.s. Hello, I’m Aria’s mom, ms. Lee. You know your counselor can help you get Welcome Ms. through this, along Lee, I’m mr. with me. At the counselor’s Clark, Aria’s office... counselor. So, we need to talk about the reason behind aria’s grades. Is there anything going on at home? Her father Well, I just found and I also out she’s been recently separated. smoking and vaping. Tobacco leads to bad concentration which would probably be one reason for her bad grades.

Hmm, I see. Well Aria, do you want to quit smoking and vaping? Umm...Yes, I Well want to quit. there are a lot of tips and tricks to help I agree. you quit. I do think the Joining a group most successful way would help you the would be to join a support group. best. But mom, I Well Aria, I’ve don’t know if I am noticed that you don’t really talk to others. comfortable in This would be a good way front of a lot of for you to make more people. friends. ⓘ Without You see, cessation joining a support, support group only 4% of helped me boost quitting my confidence attempts initially. would work. I finally relented to joining a support group. Years later, I talked to other kids about smoking and vaping.

With my new confidence, I ...I got peer talked to my old friends. I pressured Into trying a told them everything that had happened in the past vape pen...I didn’t want months. I found that I was to be alone. not the only one going through things. You should Umm... try a vape pen. no, I’m not scared. I’ll You aren’t scared, are try it. you? Hey don’t feel Yeah, I’ll bad and that you’re join your alone. No one is support perfect. We will all group, Aria. get through this We hugged after that together... which helped me feel and less lonely... Hannah, you should consider joining aria’s support group... Hey guys, we ⓘ By 2025, should do there will be 1.6 billon something about smokers smoking and vaping. globally if the current There must be trend others who are continues. also going through this... Hmm...I don’t know...I don’t think I have the courage to speak in front of people...

ⓘ 80% of Hmm..yeah, the you’re right. world’s Should we make smokers informational live in pamphlets or poor to middle posters? Or income maybe a video? countries. No, Claire’s right. We We can’t let this should make keep happening. pamphlets. A video would be a lot of we made pamphlets to hand out to others at school. work... Hannah soon joined my support group and we helped each other. As I handed out the pamphlets with my friends, I became even more confident. Being an advocate against smoking and vaping I found, was very important to me. But it’s not enough to quit. Or resist. We need to fight against the tobacco industry by Getting involved. We all need to save Max, because if we don’t, then who will?

Tips & Tricks to Help You Quit Your Tobacco Addiction: 1) Seek help. Parents, counselors, trusted adults, and other staff on campus can help you get more resources on how to quit. Friends are great forms of emotional support. Online numbers that you can text/call can also help if you want to remain anonymous. 2) Make a plan and choose a quit date. This shows you are serious about quitting. You are more likely to follow through since you have a plan. 3) Avoid triggers: Avoid going to parties, places, or friends that you know the urge to vape or smoke will be irresistible. 3) Delay and distract: One trick you can do when you are feeling the urge is tell yourself that you need to wait 10 minutes and then try to distract yourself from the urge like going outside or to places with a no-smoking policy. 4) Chew: Chewing on gum, hard candy, sunflower seeds, etc can help with fighting the urge for one puff. 5) Physical activities/Things to do: Going outside to run or play and picking up new hobbies like painting a picture can help. Ultimately keeping yourself busy and your mind off tobacco is important on the road of recovery. 6) Remind yourself of the benefits: Some benefits to quitting are being healthier, not harming others because of second hand smoke, saving money, sleeping better, and a better mental health. 7) Go to therapy: Talk to a doctor or meditate to avoid the urge to vape. Joining support groups like American Lung Association’s N-O-T (Not On Tobacco) program is one of the many examples of support groups you can join. 8) Get involved: Help others and encourage them to quit as well. Organizations You Can Join to Fight Against the Tobacco Industry: 1) Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: National Tobacco Control Group, https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/ 2) Sacramento Youth Advisory Board (YAB): Speaks at Sacramento Council Meetings in support of tobacco control measures, https://sacbreathe.org/ yab/ 3) SacBreathe’s Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down Project (TUTD): Fighting tobacco Use in Movies, https://sacbreathe.org/what-we-do/tobacco/thumbs-up- thumbs-down/ 4) Scan the QR Code Or type https://lifeinsmoke.com/ Join_Organization.html or https://bit.ly/3gluklL to get a longer list of organizations you can join to fight against tobacco use! Fighting against tobacco use is important because extended use of tobacco leads to a series of detrimental health effects like lung cancer and heart disease.

Acknowledgements I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved with this project. Special thanks goes out to my family. Without their proof-reading and criticism, this comic book would not exist. I would like to give special thanks to Adelyne, my sister, for helping me draw and color a few pictures. I would also like to thank Danielle Driscoll, my project advisor, for her continued support throughout the project. I would also like to thank Mary Jo Cravatta, Tara Sharpp, my Girl Scout Troop Leader, and my high school Medical Pathways teacher, Jennifer Wulsin. I want to furthermore thank my friends and classmates for finding the time to read my comic book and promote it by posting flyers for others to see all over Elk Grove. I want to specially thank Lilianna Morales for translating a version into Spanish. I finally want to thank all the donors who made printing free copies for teens in Elk Grove possible. Printing free copies was a priority for me because this would allow for more widespread accessibility. All your contributions mean so much to me, and I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart. About the Author Alyson Yee is a teenager who lives in Elk Grove, California. She made this comic book as her Girl Scout Gold Award Project and is very passionate about advocating against tobacco use in teens. Utilizing her art skills, she drew and constructed the comic book herself, with the hope that other teens would read it and feel compelled to fight against the tobacco industry. After a year, pouring hundreds of hours into drawing and researching the effects of tobacco, she hopes this comic book had as much as a profound effect on you as it did for her. Scan the QR Code Or type https://lifeinsmoke.com/ comic_book_links.html or https://bit.ly/3zbX5Kh to get a list of links where Alyson got her information from! All the boxes with red text and yellow borders are facts and statistics about tobacco products and use. Additional Facts and Statistics about Tobacco: 1) Globally 10 million cigarettes are sold every minute, 15 billion are sold every day and 6 trillion are used yearly. 2) Teens who smoke are 3 times more likely to use alcohol, 8 times more likely to smoke marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine. 3) If progress made against smoking in 1993 and 2003 was sustained, there could be 3 million less young smokers. 4) Yearly, kids under the age of 18 purchase 1.5 million packs in the U.S. 5) 30% of teens will continue to smoke and die early due to a smoking related disease. 6) 90% of smokers began smoking before the age of 19.

Quit today and make a pledge to be tobacco free.

It’s Never Too Late to Quit Your Tobacco Addiction. Make the Right Choice and Quit Today. 20 minutes after quitting...Heart rate and blood pressure drops. Temperature on hands and feet return to normal. 8 hours after quitting...Blood levels of carbon monoxide return to normal. 2 weeks to 3 months of quitting...Circulation improves. Lung function improves by 30%. 1-9 months after quitting...Coughing, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease. 1 year after quitting...Risk of heart disease is reduced to half of a smoker. 5 to 15 years after quitting...Risk of stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker. 10 years after quitting...Risk of lung cancer is reduced to half of a smoker. 15 years after quitting...Risk of heart disease is reduced to that of a nonsmoker. Phone Numbers You Can Text/Call to Quit Your Tobacco Addiction: Text: 1) California Smoker’s/Vaping Helpline: Text \"QUIT SMOKING” or \"QUIT VAPING\" to 66819 2) SmokefreeTXT Program: Text “CRAVE” for help with a craving, “MOOD” for emotional help, and “SLIP” to get back on track if you relapse to 47848 3) Truth Initiative “This is Quitting” Campaign: Text DITCHVAPE to 88709 Call: 1) National Helpline (Connects you directly to your states’ helpline): 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) 2) California Smoker’s Helpline: 800-NOBUTTS (800-662-8887) 3) California Vaping Helpline: 844-8-NO-VAPE (844-866-8273) 4) National Cancer Institute’s Helpline: 877-44U-QUIT (877-448-7848) Apps to Help You Quit Your Tobacco Addiction: 1) QuitSTART: https://smokefree.gov/tools-tips/apps/quitstart, Used to track cravings/moods, monitor progress, and identify smoking or vaping triggers. 2) QuitGuide: https://smokefree.gov/tools-tips/apps/quitguide, Used to track smoking pattens and receive motivational messages 3) QuitNow: https://quitnowapp.com/en#QuitNow, Includes motivational reasons to hit, money saved since quit date, daily tips to help with quitting, and access to phone help.