Preventing to***co use is one of the most important public health actions that can be taken to improve heath, as to***co use is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Each year, over 25,000 NYS residents die prematurely as a result of smoking. More than half a million NYS residents currently suffer from serious disease caused by to***co use. The Advancing To***co Free Communities grant in S
t.Lawrence, Lewis and Jefferson counties aims to reduce the impact of to***co by reducing the impact of retail to***co marketing on youth, establish a to***co-free community norm through to***co-free outdoor air policies and to***co-free housing policies, and reduce to***co imagery in youth-related movies and to***co industry presence on social media. REALITY CHECK:
Reality Check is a dedicated group of youth leaders who work to expose the manipulative marketing tactics used by the to***co industry to target teens. Reality Check educates our community, peers and policy makers with the goal of mobilizing change that will denormalize to***co use in our society. Realty Check youth strive to:
- Increase youth knowledge and involvement about the fight against big to***co.
- Involve and educate the community against the marketing ploys Big To***co is using to reach youth in our community.
- Have media coverage remove to***co promotion seen by youth.
- Have to***co imagery removed from all movies rated G, PG and PG-13.
- Reduce or remove to***co advertisements in retail locations, especially those frequented by youth. TOBACCO-FREE OUTDOORS (TFO):
TFO refers to our efforts to create outdoor public spaces that are free of secondhand smoke and to***co waste products as well as to denormalize to***co use in our communities. We strive to:
- Eliminate secondhand smoke exposure in public outdoor areas, especially recreation areas where children frequently visit.
- Reduce to***co waste liter (cigarette butts, chew cans, e-juice containers, etc.)
- Reduce to***co use modeling behavior seen by children.
- Eliminate smoking in front of entrance ways.
- Aid college campuses in going to***co-free. POINT OF SALE (POS):
POS refers to how product placement and advertising of to***co products in stores target youth. We strive to create policies in our communities that:
- Restrict the number of to***co retailers close to schools.
- Cover to***co products/displays in stores.
- Eliminate the sale of to***co products in pharmacies.
- Limit the number of to***co retailer licenses given in a certain area.
- Expose the manipulative marketing tactics that the to***co industry uses to target youth. SMOKE FREE MEDIA (SFM):
SFM refers to our efforts to reduce youth exposure to to***co use in the media. We strive to:
- Rate movies that contain to***co use "R".
- Eliminate advertising for to***co products on the radio, in print and at movie theaters. SMOKE FREE MULTI-UNIT HOUSING (SFMUH):
SFMUH refers to our efforts to aid multi-unit housing complexes, especially public housing in implementing smoke-free polices. We strive to:
- Educate landlords and housing authority directors about how smoke--free policies can reduce their turnover costs, protect the health of their tenants, reduce fire hazards and attract more tenants.
- Educate tenants about how smoke free policies can reduce dangerous secondhand smoke exposure, reduce neighborly tensions and reduce fire hazards.
- Provide free signage to aid housing complexes with policy compliance.
- Aid landlords and housing directors with writing, implementing and passing smoke-free policies.
