Dorchester, MA (April 18, 2008)- Continually bombarded by both smoking and anti-smoking advertisements, teens from the DotWell Teen Center are taking a fresh approach to the anti-smoking campaign.  Members of The 84, which represents the percentage of Massachusetts’ teens who do not use tobacco, will create art projects at the Dorchester House during April vacation to demonstrate why they refrain from tobacco use.  Eighty-four art projects will be on display at The 84 Art Exhibit to be held Saturday, May 10^th from 10-1pm in the Dorchester House gym. 

By engaging their peers in thinking about the things they are able to do because they do not smoke, Teen Center participants hope that they will convince other teens that smoking is not a worthwhile habit.  During vacation art supplies will be available in the Teen Tutoring Center for members of the community, ages 13-19 to make collages, sculptures, paintings, and drawings representing why they are a part of The 84.  Eighty-four projects created by DotWell program participants and other members of the community May 10^th in the Dorchester House gym and eighty-four dollars will be awarded to the first prize-winner.

The DotWell Teen Center is a drop-in after school program for 13-to-18-year-olds at Dorchester House, a community health center in the Field’s Corner area of Dorchester. An average of 20 teens attend the drop-in program each day, and it serves an approximately 150 teens each school year.  The diverse group includes teens from various ethnic backgrounds, including African American, Vietnamese, Cape Verdean, and Latino students. Teens in the program participate in a regular schedule of recreational healthy activities, including sports, swimming, cooking lessons, and workshops on mental and physical wellness. The main initiative of the program is to promote health and wellness among teens in the Dorchester community, and relate the importance of good health to success in all areas, including education.

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