On Thursday, March 18, I was invited by United HealthCare of Utah to a performance of "2 Smart 2 Smoke." United HealthCare of Utah has brought this production to more than 20,000 elementary school students along the Wasatch Front. This play has also been presented this year to more than 500,000 elementary school students across the United States, all of which have been sponsored by United HealthCare. As insurance commissioner for Utah, I am always interested in noting some of the positive things insurance companies do to make our lives better.
The program is put on by the National Theatre for Children. The production consists of two 30-minute plays, one for the 1st-3rd grades and one for the 4th-6th grades. Three young women actors did a fantastic job of holding the attention of the children. They were effective in getting the message across, that smoking is bad for one's health and does not make young people "cool" or "popular." Follow-up studies are being done on this program and are already producing solid evidence that it is effective in the lives of our children.There was not a lot of media coverage for this event, but it is significant. If the program were put on in all of the elementary schools of Utah, I am convinced that the results would be dramatic and the number of children who would be spared from an addiction to nicotine and the evils of smoking would number in the thousands. Others who attended this play in the Redwood Elementary School included David L. Jones, president of Paracelsus; Jan Graham, Utah attorney general; and Rob Adams, chief executive officer of United HealthCare of Utah.
As insurance commissioner, I commend United HealthCare for making this positive educational program available without cost.
Merwin U. Stewart
Insurance commissioner
state of Utah