OPINION: Students’ thoughts on tobacco corporations targeting youth

July 24, 2014 For Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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Cigarettes are very deadly to both people who do and do not use them. As a result, the tobacco companies spend millions each year on marketing to sell cigarettes, particularly to youth. Since about 90 percent of smokers start before the young age of 18, it is very clear that the tobacco industry uses its millions of dollars to target youth, and it is very clear this has been working.

As a result of tobacco advertisements in mainstream media being prohibited and censored, the tobacco industry has found ways around this by advertising cigarettes in places many children will see, like corner store counters and gas stations. Nearly 75 percent of tobacco retailers are literally blocks away from a school. As a result, many groups and community leaders have organized to fight the tobacco companies and prevent them from exposing the youth to the harmful effects of cigarettes.

This spring, I was a public health intern with the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) which works with the NYC Coalition for a Smoke-Free-City. We hope to empower those most susceptible to tobacco advertisements and educate them so that they do not become another statistic. The program has been working with high school students from all boroughs, educating them on the tobacco advertisements they are exposed to daily. Here in Flatbush, we worked with the local community to raise awareness about the tactics that large tobacco companies employ to get youth to start smoking. To find out more about the campaign, visit www.nycsmokefree.org.

Rion Salmon

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Intern, the New York Public Interest Research Group, Brooklyn College

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Smoking and the use of tobacco causes more pain than pleasure. The results affect millions, both directly and indirectly. Studies show that smoking leads to more deaths than drunk driving. Tobacco use causes heart problems, chronic lung diseases, birth defects, asthma and a number of other health issues. Studies show that smokers die about 13 or 14 years earlier than nonsmokers. But most disturbingly, tobacco advertisers target youth with their ads. Tobacco companies use tactics to entice youth to smoke before they are old enough to make an educated choice about smoking. Not only does smoking kill, but there are purposeful advertisements put out to encourage smoking to children while they are impressionable and vulnerable.

As a high school student, I believe that the distribution of cigarettes shouldn’t necessarily be banned, but people my age shouldn’t be the ones with the target on our backs to start smoking. According to BeTobaccoFree.gov, tobacco use is the leading cause of the most preventable deaths and health issues in the United States. If nearly 75 percent of tobacco ads are located within blocks of a school, it seems that we can quickly drop the number of those deaths by preventing tobacco companies from advertising near schools.

I am currently an intern with the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) at Brooklyn College, working to reduce exposure of youth to tobacco advertisements. We have been working in conjunction with the NYC Coalition for a Smoke Free City in the local community to educate our peers.  We recently did a tobacco-free flash mob in Times Square and presented to our Community Board about the issue. To find out more, visit www.nycsmokefree.org!

Breanna James

Intern, the New York Public Interest Research Group, Brooklyn College


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