Embedded Files
Speaking at the Indiana Statehouse for the "Raise It For Health" Campaign.
I was a keynote speaker in favor of raising the tax on cigarettes to a $1.50 per pack.
Photo taken 2/1/17.
WTHR 13 Interview 10/13/17
How I started speaking to classes
How I started speaking to classes
When I found out I had cancer, I never told the kids that I substitute taught for at Mt. Vernon High School how I had got cancer. I was afraid that knowing I was a smoker, they would lose respect for me. One day, I had a class full of seniors who I had known since they were 5th graders. They wanted to hear one of my infamous "stories". But they had been with me so long, they had heard all my stories. Out of the blue, I asked them if they wanted to know the story of how I got cancer. As I proceeded to tell them about how I started smoking at age 10 and all the things smoking had done to my life, I looked at the amazed looks on their faces and thought to myself that maybe that wasn't such a good idea. When I had finished, there was stunned silence in the classroom. I thought to myself that these kids were never going to look at me with any kind of respect ever again. Finally the silence was broken when one of the students said, "Mr. Slinker, you should tell that story to all the classes." Then another student spoke up and said, "Not only that, you should go around to ALL the schools and tell it."
Since then, I have worked very hard emailing schools and trying to find the right people to contact to share my story and my message to as many young people as I can. As I write this, I have spoken to 8th grade academy at Mt. Vernon, boys 8th grade Health Classes at Pendleton Heights Middle School, the Health classes at Greenfield-Central High School, the Health classes at New Palestine High School, the Health Classes at Eastern Hancock High School, and also a program for at-risk teens in Anderson, Indiana called Day Reporting. The teachers I have worked with are Nick Stadler (Mt. Vernon), Tom Huth (Pendleton Heights), Elizabeth Mercer and Emily Logan (Greenfield-Central), Brian Bowen and Marvin Shepler (New Palestine), Marci Gilbert (Eastern Hancock), and Connie Schlegel (Day Reporting). I hope to have testimonials from some of these teachers soon and will add to this site.
Update 5/19/2017
As this school year winds down, I would like to add to the list of schools that I have spoken to. In addition to the schools named above, I also spoke at Wes-Del High School, Wabash Middle School, Daleville High School, Zionsville Middle School, and Franklin Central High School. I was also key note speaker for two different Statehouse rallies on the proposed legislation of raising the cigarette tax. I am hoping to continue to build on this year during next school year.
I would love to come and share my story and message to your school or organization. Feel free to send me an email to starrkey1@gmail.com if you are interested.
Another article written about me in the Greenfield Daily Reporter.
If, for any reason, I cannot come to your classroom, feel free to use this video.
Comments
Comments
"Jeff Slinker has been to my 8th Grade classes at Pendleton Heights Middle School multiple times and he has a tobacco story to tell that students need to hear. Sometimes students need to "see" what could happen as a result of a tobacco habit that doesn't come from a book. The way Mr. Slinker presents his information, the message will stay in the student's minds for some time."
Tom Huth Pendleton Heights Middle School
" Mr. Slinker gives our students a real life example of what tobacco can do to the body and the consequences one could go through."
Elizabeth Mercer Greenfield-Central High School
"Mr. Slinker takes the kids through a journey of how a few small choices as a preteen lead to some very life-altering consequences as an adult. We often don't think long term when we make immediate decisions. Mr. Slinker does a great job of sharing the entire timeline of his choices."
Emily Logan Greenfield-Central High School
Recommendations For Tobacco Units
Recommendations For Tobacco Units
ADDICTION INCORPORATED is a great DVD for use with a tobacco unit. It is about 70 minutes long so some high school classes could watch it in one period, or two periods for Middle School or shorter class periods.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship
Sometimes before teachers will invite me to come speak in their classes, they ask me what do I charge. I always answer the same way. I do not charge for this service, but I will accept any money to help with travel expenses. It is then up to them if they want to pay me or not. I am a substitute teacher and that gives me the flexibility to be able to speak to classes almost any time I am needed, but when I do go and speak somewhere, I am taking a day off that I do not get paid for and using my own car with my own gas. The remedy to this, of course, would be to start charging for my talks; however, I have worked in school systems enough to know that if I start charging, I won't be invited. My message is too important for me not to be heard. I would dearly love to have someone sponsor me. I have reached out to several organizations (American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, D.A.R.E., the CDC, etc.). This has been met with either a polite "no thank you" or no response at all. I believe more schools would be willing to invite me in if I had some type of sponsor backing me. If anyone knows of some organization or company who would be willing to sponsor me, please send me that information at starrkey1@gmail.com . I would love to be able to expand out to schools not just in Indiana, but across the country. But until that happens, I will continue not to charge so that my message can be heard by as many young people as I can reach.
On August 25, 2017, I was named Hancock County Tobacco Free Coalition's Volunteer of The Year at the 15th annual Coalition dinner.
Worksheet for Class (Optional)
Worksheet for Class (Optional)
My wife is an English teacher at Greenfield-Central High School. She put this worksheet together so that you can use with your students if you so desire. I do not require this as part of my presentation.
Your Name:
Your Block:
Jeff Slinker’s Anti-Smoking Presentation
Click on the above link for the presentation.
[Indiana Literacy Standards and Health and Wellness Standards included]
1. HW1.1 Whenever you are listening to a speech, you need to make sure that the speaker is credible. Is Jeff Slinker a credible source? What makes him an expert on smoking?
2. HW1.2 How old was Mr. Slinker when he started smoking? What made him start?
3. HW1.2 How did his move to New Palestine, Indiana, change his reasons for smoking?
4. 9-12RT.4 According to Mr. Slinker what is the difference between an ADDICTION and a HABIT? How does the dictionary define the difference?
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5. HW1.9, HW2.3 Mr. Slinker emphasizes that decisions made early in life have later consequences that we may not even be able to imagine. Name three times in his early life that he could have made different/better decisions and changed his life.
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6. 9-12RT.1 What are three risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma?
Merck Manual Article on squamous cell carcinoma
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7. What were Mr. Slinker’s symptoms of his cancer?
8. 9-12RT.7 Smoking one pack of cigarettes a day at 50 cents per pack, how much did Mr. Slinker spend on his 25 year smoking habit?
9. 9-12RT.7, 9-12RT.10, 9-12WT.7, 9-12WT.8, 9-12WT.9 Indiana publishes the minimum price that cigarettes can retail for on its state website. Click on the link for the chart below and answer the questions that follow:
Indiana Minimum Prices for Cigarettes
10. Smoking one pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes per day in Indiana would cost this much per year at 2016 prices.
11. At today’s prices, how much would a one pack a day Marlboro habit cost him over 25 years?
12. What would you rather spend that kind of money on?
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