Educational Media Reviews Online

Many forms of media aimed at teens, designed to stop them from smoking, concentrate on the health effects.This film examines the environmental factors affecting health that are consequences of the life cycle of the whole cigarette, not just the smoking of it.

It all starts with the farming of tobacco; its impact on the workers, especially the young ones, is explained and then made personal with interviews with these teen workers. The manufacturing of cigarettes becomes more sinister with the fact that 600 chemical additives are part of the process. And then the consumption of the cigarette reveals the production of even more chemicals. The effects of secondhand smoke and third-hand smoke are also covered. Clear and colorful visuals, whether in the fields or the factories, accompany all of these facts. Young viewers, who may be expecting the usual smokers’ lung x-rays and photos of patients on oxygen, will instead see the toxic waste of cigarette butts, hear the stories of workers who are sickened by chemicals in the field, and find out more than they probably wanted to know about the hundreds of chemicals involved in smoking a cigarette.

The interviewees and the two hosts of the film, a young man and young woman, provide diversity. Authority is established through the expert who appears throughout, a doctor of public health. Production values are high quality.

The purpose of the DVD is to stop adolescents from starting to smoke or continuing the habit. The film will give junior high and high school students more facts and different visuals as they learn about the dangers of tobacco and smoking. This film would be best used in health or science classes at this level. Public libraries will also want to consider for purchase, as adults may also be interested in the topic.

The disk includes a Teacher’s Resource Book, which presents learning objectives, a program summary, National Health Educational Standards for grades 6-8 and 9-12, pre/post-tests, discussion questions, student activities and worksheets, fact sheets, a resources list, and glossary.