Sherry Martin, principal of Harmony Elementary School in Jasper, discusses the tobacco-free schools policy with 10-year old grandson and student, Lex Worley.

"My husband Jimmy was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2008 just a week before Thanksgiving," said Martin. "I asked the doctor if his cancer was caused from smoking cigarettes, and he said, 'Yes ma'am, it was definitely caused from smoking and smoking alone.'"

Before his death in May 2009, Martin's husband often said he wished he had listened to her when she begged him to quit smoking.

"Jimmy asked me to always do everything I could to convince others to get tobacco out of their lives," Martin said. "That's when I realized we needed the tobacco-free policy for our schools. We were teaching our students the dangers of using tobacco and yet we allowed adult role models to use tobacco on our campuses during school functions."

In July, supported by Pickens County Schools' Superintendent Dr. Benjamin Desper, Martin presented the school board with a letter of endorsement for tobacco-free campuses that had been signed by every principal in the Pickens County School System.

On Aug. 9, Pickens County Schools became the 87th Georgia school district to adopt the 100% Tobacco-Free Schools model policy.

"I was pleased by how readily our board passed the policy and am pleasantly surprised by how little trouble we've had with people abiding by it," Desper said.

Under the policy, no student, staff member or school visitor is permitted to use any tobacco product at any time on school property or at school events.

North Georgia Health District 1-2, based in Dalton, will support the schools' tobacco free policy by providing signage and an education campaign.

For more information about Georgia's 100% Tobacco Free Schools model policy, log onto  http://www.livehealthygeorgia.org/peoplesmokefree.shtml.