It was part of Buena Regional High School's effort to help the Great American Smokeout, where students vied for shirts, hats and balls in a game-show format.

Gunter played host.

As lunch went on, the group grew to 12 players answering tobacco-related questions in the second annual "Who Wants to be a Zillionaire" game sponsored by the Natural Helpers.

"Who said 'Quitting smoking is easy, I've done it a hundred times?'" read Gunter, impersonating Regis Philbin.

Matthew Petrie, 16, could answer that.

He knew it was President John F. Kennedy. Unfortunately, Petrie wasn't in the hot seat.

"I just wanted the smiley ball to show that non-smokers can be happy," Petrie said.

As word of the contest grew, people clamored for a chance to play.

Natural Helpers, a student-run peer counseling group, distributed materials provided by Atlantic County Students Working Against Tobacco.

"Hopefully we'll make kids stop smoking by making them aware of how bad it is," said student Dan Smith.

In return for an "I Quit Smoking" button, students signed a declaration to kick the habit or never start.

They also used another powerful tool to get their message across.

It was a jar filled with unknown yellow goop.

Words of "Ewww!" and "Gross!!" rang out throughout the cafeteria as Natural Helpers walked around showing the so-called "two cups of phlegm" said to be coughed up each day by a person with emphysema.

The idea got across.