Enosburg Falls (May 25, 2017) – The Enosburg Falls High School OVX (Our Voices Xposed) continue their efforts to reduce the impact of tobacco use in their community and among their peers. This spring, the 13 students decorated 8 sap buckets with facts, images, and warnings as a sweet way to continue to raise awareness.  The sap buckets are now displayed on trees in Enosburg Falls’ Lincoln Park.

To boost their efforts – the students created a fact sheet which sits in the sap bucket. Smokeless tobacco use is often the tobacco product of choice among rural teens.  According to, Kyla Perry, EFHS OVX junior, “We painted sap buckets with anti- chewing tobacco messages and hung them in Enosburg Falls’ Lincoln Park. Inside there are facts and statistics from our own community that we hope will help raise awareness of the dangers of chew.”

The students want their peers and their community to know these important facts:

• Nearly 1 in 5 deaths in America are tobacco-related
• Dip (smokeless tobacco) contains up to 30 known cancer causing chemicals
• Using dip (smokeless tobacco) can cost you your teeth and your life
• 16% of their peers in the Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union use smokeless tobacco (chew or dip). That number is almost twice as high as the Vermont state average
• 65% of surveyed EFHS students have noticed others using smokeless products in school
• 74% of students who reported using smokeless products, feel like they can hide their use

As a result of this team’s concern for the high rates of smokeless use, they have worked throughout the school year to impact that addictive behavior. This winter, they surveyed both teachers and students about what they notice about smokeless use within school.  Using that information, supported by Student Assistance Professional, Teegan Deuso, the students have been working to educate faculty, staff and students.  Teachers received facts and statistics regarding EFHS smokeless tobacco use and school-wide announcements were made over a period of time to the entire school community.

To complete their efforts this year, the banners with these facts will be hung at the school softball and baseball fields reminding all who see them that “Smokeless Doesn’t Mean Harmless.”

OVX is an initiative of the Agency of Education, the Vermont Department of Health and is supported by the Franklin Grand Isle Tobacco Prevention Coalition. For more information about the EFHS OVX’ efforts or smokeless tobacco use in our region, please contact Amy Brewer at 524-1296 or [email protected]. If you are a tobacco user (regardless of age) who is considering quitting, there are free resources to help you, including coaching and patches, gum and lozenges – contact Northwestern Medical Center’s Quit Partner, Chari Andersen, RN, at 524-8480 or [email protected].