West M Students Participate in Community Cleanup

ZANESVILLE, OH – On Wednesday, West Muskingum High School students took part in a community cleanup effort to make Zane’s Landing and surrounding areas a little cleaner and greener. 

These students spent their morning picking up trash around Reisbecks, focusing on areas in need of some extra care. It’s part of a larger effort to clean up the community and raise awareness about environmental issues and tobacco use. Tobacco waste is a big concern, with cigarette butts littering the area. The students are not only cleaning up but also raising awareness about the environmental damage caused by tobacco products.

“We have the West M students here today picking up trash around Riesbecks. I walk around here sometimes, and I noticed there was a need. We decided to meet here, and another group is at Zane’s Landing. It’s not very clean over there, so there’s lots of regular trash and a lot of cigarette butts. It’ll be beautiful after it’s all done. We just wanted to know how to clean up the community,” said Julia Zalmanek, Health Educator at the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department. “I just want people to know that tobacco harms the environment. If you are going to use tobacco, at least please dispose of it properly.”

KickButts/Take Down Tobacco is an annual event hosted by the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department that’s growing in scope. This year, for the first time, four schools are participating instead of one. Today’s cleanup event is just one of four planned throughout March and April, with students competing to see who can collect the most trash.

The West Muskingum students are excited to see how their efforts compare to the other schools participating. If you would like to get involved, visit ZMCHD.org for volunteer opportunities and more information.