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Calling herself Tenacious T, she combined unsettling images of blackened lungs and tracheotomies with some of the more popular anti-smoking ads to create a lasting impression on her video.
A junior who lives in Rochelle Park, Tina, 16, produced the sprightly, spirited video for Allergy Associates, which has offices in North New Jersey. She’ll receive her prize at a special event Friday at Ramapo University, the American Cancer Society announced.
“You’re chokin’ on your drool / Don’t be a fool,” Tina sings, urging other teens not to succumb to peer pressure.
“Cigarettes are trash, they’re killin’ your body,” she adds. “Now why you wanna go and do that?”
“I migrated from Ghana, Africa to America,” Tina said. “Although I face several obstacles and adversities every day of my life, I know that as long as I stay focused I can accomplish any task. I am a hardworking and devoted individual.
“I enjoy expressing myself through words, putting those words on paper and then adding music to create songs,” she told CLIFFVIEWPILOT.COM. “I am actually working on some songs on unity and diversity at the moment as well as a song directed towards the tragedy of the Haiti earthquake and the many people who lost their lives. I like to write on a myriad of subjects, all with different messages.
“I thought that by creating an antismoking song, complete with 100% facts, I could convince my friends to quit smoking. I have been against smoking, especially second hand smoking, since it is worse than regular smoking because there is no filter. I have friends that have parents that smoke and getting into a car with a smoker is terrible! I have been through this situation numerous times, where I was forced to roll down the window just to be able to breathe fresh air.”
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