It is part biography of Jackie Christensen. Christensen, who is a senior at Grand Island high in August, recently added to her resume when she was named to the board of youth leaders to No Limits. Christensen said, No Limits is a youth organization dedicated to tobacco control activities and “opposing and exposing Big Tobacco.”
Although there are No Limits organization in Grand Island, Christensen said that she decided to participate in the spring kick Butts Day rallies in the city of Lincoln, who put on No Limits. The event gave young people from around the state the opportunity to express their disagreement with the use of tobacco and tobacco, as well as meet with the senators of the state of Nebraska. Christensen says that she does not get the opportunity to meet with state Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island, but it is to get to talk with an assistant from his office.
Young people use these opportunities to talk about legislation that could help reduce the number of smokers, especially among young smokers. “Ninety percent of adult smokers started smoking before the age of 18 years,” says Christensen. Conversely, if people have never tried smoking by the time they turned 25 years of age, they most likely will never smokers. She said: Big Tobacco knows these statistics, so their marketing efforts so often targeted at young people.
Christensen said that young people often believe that they can “taste” of smoking and then quit anytime they want. However, it noted that smoking on a regular basis for even a few months may be enough to make people dependent. She also said that smoking addiction can be hard to break, because there are so many smoking “triggers” that can make a person who quits want to take up smoking again.
As a result, the most effective tobacco controls strategy, as a rule, to prevent young people from trying smoking in the first place. Christensen said an effective deterrent against smoking is to increase the value that can be done by raising taxes on tobacco products. She said: No Limits often calls on lawmakers to increase taxes on tobacco products. In 2011, Gloor introduced legislation to raise the tax on cigarettes Nebraska, but the bill is gaining momentum with difficulty because of the generalized against raising taxes of any kind, as well as against higher taxes, which some people consider discriminatory.
Although Gloor did not get to talk Christensen personally, he welcomed the decision to join No Limits. He said one of the major tobacco companies spent $ 250,000 in 2011 against his bill to raise taxes on cigarettes. He said that sometimes the only way to deal with this kind of grassroots efforts through the efforts of people like Christensen. He said that these efforts to keep the matter before the public, helping people to understand that Nebraska escapes in the surrounding states cigarette taxes. Gloor said an even greater concern about an increase in public spending in programs such as Medicaid, tobacco-related issues.
Christensen said she was inspired to join No Limits, partly because she personally witnessed the negative effects of smoking on some members of her family. No Limits are often regional meetings, which provide either local offices or other anti-smoking group ideas for anti-tobacco activities and events in the organization sometimes provides small grants for various projects. Christensen said that Raymundo Reyna, who was a senior member of the SADD organization, was one of two GISH students who participated in the No Limits conference and was inspired to organize a balloon release in high school.
1200 helium-filled balloons that were released in 1200 represented the Americans who die every day from diseases caused by smoking. Christensen said that although nothing definite at this point, no restrictions may attempt to extend its anti-tobacco message to the people at the fair state of Nebraska. She said that she might be a good opportunity to people from all over the state coming to the fair.
A summary of the Christensen takes a lot of his time: the game or right field or left field for the Flames Girls Travel fast pitch Nebraska football team. When asked, Christensen did not honestly know how many games a year her team plays She said that the team is “at least four games,” every weekend in the tournament, and he usually plays one game a week. For example, Christensen said, Flames played a doubleheader in Cozad last Thursday and had to play in a tournament in Kansas City area last week. Within 12 weeks of summer, a timetable for adding at least 60 games. According to her, the flames also play in the fall, and even play a few games indoors in Lincoln and Omaha in the winter. According to her, the number of games begins to pick up again in April.
Christensen says she has an older brother and two older half-brothers. The result: “I always thought it would be interesting to have a little sister or brother.” She said that was part of her motivation to become a Big Sister in Big Brothers Big Sisters program of Grand Island. Because of the limitations of age, students such as me can only meet with their Little Sister in the school the young student. Christensen said that she usually used her lunch break to meet with her Little Sister in the Starr Elementary. She said that it was rewarding to try to have a positive impact on younger students, and be empathetic listener for a young person to talk to. “We had fun,” said Christensen. “I think we really connected. I would definitely stick with the program (Starr and her Little Sister) this year.”
Although Christensen is not sure where she will attend college after graduating high, its long-term goal is to participate in the University of Nebraska Medical Center, so she can become a pharmacist. Although she was not confident in their freshman and sophomore years of a career that she wanted to do, Christensen is currently focused on pharmacy, as she discovered how much she loves science classes. Her 4.2 grade point average and honors certificates AP classes, which she accepts that allows you to earn more than the 4.0 score. As part of an introductory health class during her freshman year, Christensen said she must take an excursion to the UNMC. “I do not understand how people can even breathe,” she said.
