Story by Nicole Dohm
Photo by Luke Nankivell
Have you smoked enough?
Jordan Skopp, creator of smokedenough.com, aimed a project toward all smokers, particularly teen smokers and college smokers.
Skopp’s goal is to have teachers use his website in their repertoire to incorporate the dangers of smoking into their lessons.
Smokedenough.com shares audio stories of what smokers would share to sway their sibling’s decisions about smoking.
“Most smokers are civic minded people and are inclined to tell their sibling to not continue down the same path,” Skopp said.
Smokers would call the website’s hotline and tell their stories to the world, Skopp said.
“The purpose of my website is for smokers to take part in a collective message that they would share with their sibling to prevent them from the dangers of smoking. It is a chance for a smoker to do something about their situation,” Skopp said.
Skopp was a former smoker of over 20 years. He had a lot of time to think about his smoking habit through volunteering, seminars and personal talks with classrooms about smoking.
He feels he has evolved as a former smoker by educating teens.
The smoker’s messages are anonymous, but when the website advances later on they will animate the stories.
Skopp wants teens to feel that they “have the power to wave the red flag saying, ‘I want to be the last smoker in my family.’”
He hopes one day that when teens are put into a situation they don’t want to be in,they will have the power to get out of it . Skopp said he wants his project to make its way into classrooms all over the country and to be used as examples in the lessons of smoking.
“I like how the website chooses young smokers close to our age so we can feel like we actually can relate to them about what they are going through,” first-year Rainey Lecher said. “I also like how the website includes personal stories and how it’s college students passing down their experiences to high school students as a method to try and stop young smokers. I would definitely pass this website on to any young smokers I know. I think it really shows high school students that while you may think it is cool to smoke now, just listen to these people’s stories and think before you act because the consequences could be deadly.”
