(Submitted photos and information)
Press release
BATAVIA, N.Y. – While youth across New York State declared Saturday, October 13 as the second annual Seen Enough Tobacco Day, Reality Check members from both St. Joseph’s School and Notre Dame High School in Batavia celebrated one day early with both Chalk The Walk and Fence Cupping events at their respective schools. Youth used their artistic talents to express startling statistics and health outcomes that they hope will inspire their community to protect children like them from the billions of dollars of tobacco marketing in places where kids can see it.
There is overwhelming evidence that the more young people see tobacco marketing, the more likely they are to start smoking, according to a U.S. Surgeon General report, which also calls smoking among youth a pediatric epidemic.
In a landmark case of the U.S. Government against tobacco companies, the court found tobacco companies violated racketeering laws after lying to the American public for decades about the dangers of smoking and about marketing their products to children. Yet, they are STILL allowed to spend billions of dollars marketing their products using colorful signs, walls of tobacco products, special discounts, and displays that youth find appealing. Tobacco companies put most of their marketing in stores where 75 percent of teens shop at least once a week.
Seen Enough Tobacco Day is part of the overall statewide “Seen Enough Tobacco” initiative focused on putting an end to youth smoking and other tobacco use.
Youth members of Reality Check held events across the state to help raise awareness and encourage community members to stand up in support of reducing youth exposure to what they say is deceitful marketing by the tobacco industry that attract kids. Activities included pop-up “birthday parties” to represent the average age of a new smoker, cigarette butt cleanups, educational activities and creative displays that draw attention to statistics about youth tobacco use and marketing.
Findings on youth tobacco use and tobacco industry marketing in places where children and young adolescents can see it indicate:
• The average age of a new smoker in New York is 13 years old, and 90 percent of adult smokers say they first tried smoking by age 18.
• The U.S. tobacco industry spent an estimated $9.5 billion on advertising and promotion of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco in 2013. This includes nearly $220 million annually in New York State, or nearly $602,000 a day.
• Stores popular among adolescents contain almost three times more tobacco marketing materials compared to other stores in the same community.
Several community members attended the Seen Enough Tobacco Day events at both schools, shared photos on social media using #SeenEnoughTobacco and were encouraged to visit www.SeenEnoughTobacco.org to sign an online petition and pledge their support.
Reality Check New York empowers youth to become leaders in their community in exposing what they see as the manipulative and deceptive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry. The organization’s members produce change in their communities through grassroots mobilization and education. Reality Check in this area is affiliated with Tobacco-Free GLOW.
Ben Streeter and Krysta Hansen, Notre Dame sophomores and Reality Check members, use disposable cups to take a stand against tobacco.