When Greenville’s Simon Paverd was planning his fifth-grade community service project at Corpus Christi School, he decided to think big.
The 11-year-old helped design anti-smoking placards for students to raise during the American Lung Association Advocacy Day in Harrisburg, Pa., on May 5.
“Even though it wasn’t in this community, we thought it would be a great way to help people, in this case high schoolers, by keeping them from smoking,” said Paverd.
Paverd’s placards featured the slogan “You can’t afford not to do this” prominently displayed in a call-out to Pennsylvania legislators asking them to sustain the state’s tobacco education programs.
Deb Brown, acting CEO of the American Lung Association, was so impressed with Paverd’s work that she invited him along to attend the rally in Harrisburg.
Hearing speeches about the dangers of smoking only reinforced Paverd’s view that it is more than a bad habit – it is a deadly habit, he said.
“So many kids are influenced by their friends with peer pressure and eventually they can’t stop smoking and they could get killed,” he said. “It’s just a waste of lives.”
It was great to be a part of advocacy day, he said, and he felt like his placards really made a difference. People were pointing to the signs and Paverd said he hopes they remember the message and how important tobacco education programs are for kids.
The message he wants to share with his peers is simple.
“Even if all your friends smoke, don’t do it because you don’t want to know where it leads you,” he said.
And though he’s unsure what he wants to do when he grows up, Paverd hasn’t ruled out a career in politics.
