October 15, 2003

Old enough to puff?
Teens, leaders discuss smoking

California high school students and state leaders will tackle issues surrounding teens and smoking at a town hall meeting Thursday, Oct. 16. The event – from 1 to 2 p.m. in the State Capitol room 4202 – is sponsored by the LegiSchool Project at California State University, Sacramento.

Participants will discuss California’s tough anti-smoking laws and prevention campaigns, as well as proposed legislation to increase the state’s smoking age from 18 to 21.

Panelists will include Teresa Stark from the office of Assemblymember Paul Koretz, who authored the smoking age bill; Dustin Corcoran of the California Medical Association; and others. Students from Hiram Johnson High in Sacramento, Lodi High, Redondo High in Redondo Beach and Castro Valley High will attend the meeting, while students at Alps View High in Weaverville will participate by telephone. Hundreds of other students in California will view the meeting on the California Channel or on videotape.

Paula Gardner, a professor from the CSUS College of Education, will moderate the meeting.

The LegiSchool Project is an award-winning civic education effort of CSUS and the State Legislature, administered by the Center for California Studies.

More information is available from LegiSchool Project Director Kolleen Ostgaard at (916) 278-6906, or by visiting www.csus.edu/legischool. Media assistance is available from CSUS public affairs at (916) 278-6156.

####