High Life : A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : Cigarettes Will Be Out of Fashion

Hundreds of Orange County businesses, hospitals, schools and volunteers are sponsoring the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout today, hosting special events that include an anti-tobacco fashion show.

Students at La Habra High will participate as models in today’s fashion show, during which they will act out everyday situations emphasizing positive peer pressure when confronted with the temptations of tobacco use. The 9 a.m. performance, coordinated and produced by the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise, will take place on the La Habra campus, 801 W. Highlander, La Habra.

Sonora High held a similar fashion show Tuesday.

The Great American Smokeout is held each year on the third Thursday in November. The goal of this, the 15th annual event, is to encourage smokers nationwide to give up cigarettes for 24 hours.

Here are some facts from the American Cancer Society pertaining to teen-agers and smoking:

* Ninety percent of all smokers start by age 19, and 60% start by age 14.

* The tobacco industry must recruit more than 5,000 new smokers every day to replace the adult smokers who quit or die of cigarette-induced diseases.

* Last year, 10% of California youths ages 12 to 17 smoked cigarettes (11.6% of the girls; 9.3% of the boys).

For more information about smoking, cancer and tips on quitting, call the American Cancer Society at (714) 556-7804.