NORWICH – Local youth from Chenango County have seen enough marketing from the tobacco industry and will join youth around the country to stand up and speak out against big tobacco on “Kick Butts Day,” March 19.
Tobacco Free Chenango will alert the community about what is now a known cause of youth smoking – tobacco marketing in stores. Educational programs involving students at middle and high schools in Sherburne, Norwich and Greene will focus on tobacco marketing in stores and its influence on youth. Tobacco Free Chenango, a program of Chenango Health Network, will also partner with the Liberty Partnership Program to reach more youth in Chenango County.
James Mutabiilwa, Tobacco Free Chenango Program Coordinator, noted that as part of the Kick Butts Day campaign, the program has been running ads and placed billboards to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco marketing in stores.
The 2014 Surgeon General Report concludes that promotional activities by the tobacco companies cause the onset and continuation of smoking among adolescents and young adults. In New York State, 107,000 high school students smoke cigarettes. Each year, more than 15,000 kids under 18 become new daily smokers. According to the 2014 Surgeon General’s Report, if current smoking rates continue, 5.6 million Americans younger than 18 who are alive today are projected to die prematurely from smoking-related disease. Every adult who dies early because of smoking is replaced by two new, young smokers, one of whom also will die early from smoking.
The tobacco industry spends 90 percent of their annual marketing budget in retail stores. Retailers in New York State display an average of 32 square feet of tobacco products or the equivalent of more than 200 cigarette pack faces. In New York State, 82 percent of retailers dedicate at least half of the space behind the checkout counter to openly visible tobacco products. Pharmacies and mass merchandisers averaged 50 and nearly 60 square feet of tobacco product display, respectively – equivalent to over 300 pack faces.
“32 square feet is like an indoor billboard,” said Mutabiilwa. “The tobacco industry can’t use billboards on the highway so why do we see their ‘billboard-like’ marketing in our convenience stores and pharmacies?”
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids sponsors Kick Butts Day. There will be more than 1,000 events in schools and communities across the United States and around the world.
“Our kids deserve to be protected from tobacco marketing,” said Lisa Singleton, RN from Team Act Cessation Center. “Since nearly all adults started smoking before the age of 18, parents and community members must be aware of the impact of all this tobacco marketing and take steps to protect our kids.”
For more information about the harmful effects of tobacco marketing at the point of sale, visit www.seenenoughtobacco.org.
Tobacco Free Chenango, a program of Chenango Health Network, is a part of the New York State Tobacco Control Program which implements community action strategies to reduce social acceptability of tobacco use.