OPINION: Students’ thoughts on tobacco corporations targeting youth
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