LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Teens at JCPS will soon see a new campaign, designed by other local students, to help them be smoke free.

One ad shows a teen prematurely aging. The other has a cake full of cigarettes to show the damage of tobacco. An ad agency isn't responsible for either video.

"It's like a client. This is serious. We have to do a good job on this. Then, we warmed up to the idea. Thought this could be a good opportunity for us. We could help people out," senior Johnathan Frech said.

Despite millions being poured into tobacco control ads, more than a third of Kentucky high schoolers don't get the message. That's why Norton Healthcare reached out to PRP last October.

"I thought that this would be just another assignment for them. I knew that they would have really good feedback but it turned out they had these really powerful, personally stories," said Jenita Lyons, Wellness Manager of Norton Children's Prevention & Wellness.

McKenna Dawson's grandmother stopped smoking 18 years ago. "She now has lung cancer. She just got diagnosed recently. So, it's just now hitting my family really hard," Dawson said.

Dawson and a class of media students have worked all year to develop and pilot the campaign.

"This has been our main labor of love," Frech said.

The goal is to reach more people their age, early on.

"Since we're in high school, we can tell our friends about it. Then, our friends will tell other friends," Dawson said.

"We thought this would be a good opportunity to help that cause, to help prevent other teens from falling into the same trappings and vices," Frech said.

The students are creating public service announcements, videos, images, memes and articles.  

"Some of the students took on the role as social media, some of them took on the role as designer or photographer, writers," Denise Webb, Media Arts Teacher said.

"It gives us an opportunity that we wouldn't have otherwise. We're not just sitting in a classroom learning out of a book. We're getting real world experience," Frech said.

They'll reach out to all JCPS ninth grade classes. That's at least 10,000 students per year.

"It also means a lot to me to know that what we're doing can help people. It might not be us physically saying, 'hey we're taking this away' but we're putting an idea into your head. It's going to stay there."

The hope is for other classes to eventually create similar projects to help more put out smoking.

The plan is to roll out the campaign next month. It will offer a free resource, the 1-800-QUIT-NOW line. It's for those 13 and older.  

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