Tobacco ads should be kept hidden from minors

Friday, May 29, 2009
Online Letter to the Editor
Daily Gazette

Many people do not realize that the advertisements the retailers have inside and outside of the stores are causing children to see tobacco as being a normal product in society.

Each day, more than 4,000 kids try smoking for the first time and another 2,000 kids become regular daily smokers; and since 75 percent of teenagers shop in a convenience store at least once a week, the tobacco ads in and around these stores can be a major contributor to the number of new teen smokers. These ads do not only target teens, some tobacco ads are put low on counters or on entrances, which encourages very young children to see that tobacco products and usage are a normal part of society as well, even though only 18.9 percent of adult New Yorkers are smokers.

Retailers can do something to reduce the amount of tobacco advertisements seen by children by contacting Project Action Tobacco Free Coalition of Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery counties at 841-7288 to sign a policy to reduce, rearrange, or remove tobacco advertising from your store.

As a community member, you can ask the local retailers to please remove the signs and other advertisements or join the Project Action Community Coalition at www.projectactionhfm.org.

Justin Hladik

Johnstown

The writer is program coordinator for Reality Check of Fulton and Hamilton counties.