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Tobacco Advertising Plants the Seed of Smoking in Youth
Dear Editor:
I am the Putnam County Coalition Coordinator at POW'R Against Tobacco. I would like to take this opportunity to explain what Point of Purchase Advertising is.
Point of Purchase Advertising is signage found in retail stores promoting a particular product for consumer production. We see product advertising everywhere go in many different ways. In particular, tobacco companies advertise their products in places where it is visible to everyone including our youth.
The next time you are in your local retail store see if there is any advertising. The tobacco companies are targeting our youth with advertising that will "plant the seed" in their minds. Youth initiation to smoking begins anywhere between the ages of 11 through 15 - basically from 6th grade to 10th grade.
According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids website, 3 out of 4 youths go to a convenience store at least once a week where they can see the advertising. Everyday, 4000 youths try smoking for the first time and 2,000 become regular smokers. Even though the legal age to purchase tobacco products is 18 years old, our youth are obtaining these products by other means. In my view, tobacco retailers are vigilant in their efforts not to sell tobacco products to minors because of the penalties incurred on them if they do.
During the past several months, I have been presenting before several town boards, in Putnam County, asking them to adopt a non-binding resolution supporting the reduction, rearrangement, and removal of tobacco advertising in the retail environment that targets our youth.
Thus far, the Putnam County Legislature and the Town Boards of Putnam Valley, Patterson, and Philipstown have adopted the resolution. I am most grateful to have them as "valuable" partners in this initiative. My goal is to have every town in Putnam County to adopt this important resolution.
In my presentations, I have been emphasizing the importance that I am seeking cooperation and not confrontation with local tobacco retailers. I view them as "potential partners" in this effort. I am asking retailers to sign a policy to reduce, rearrange, and/or eliminate tobacco advertising from their establishment. This one action can make a difference because maybe there will be one less youth who will decide against using tobacco products.
I am looking forward to working with tobacco retailers in Philipstown and Putnam Valley. I encourage the people to go to their local retail store and observe how the advertising is place and ask the retailer to consider removing, rearranging and/or eliminate advertising for the good of our youth. I believe that together we can all make a difference by protecting our youth from being targets for tobacco advertising in the not-so distant future.
POW'R Against Tobacco is one of twenty-nine community partnerships statewide that is funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Health - Bureau of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control.
Anthony Massarelli
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