Retailers should help protect the young and hide tobacco products

Tobacco products are highly addictive and cause the deaths of 25,000 New Yorkers every year. These deaths would be preventable if our youth never become addicted to cigarettes or tobacco products. Studies have identified a clear link between retail tobacco marketing and youth smoking.

With back to school right around the corner, we need to remind our retailers that our youth will be in the stores. Please encourage our local retailers to put tobacco products out of sight. We know that stores are the main channel of communication for new and current tobacco customers.

Youth are more impressionable than adults. An adult can shop in a retail store and never notice the tobacco ads or products. If you have shopped with a young child, you know that a child is more observant of the items around them, and often wants many of the items he or she sees in the store.

Simply placing tobacco products where children do not see them will prevent some children from becoming cigarette smokers. This small step is worth the health and happiness of our youth.

If you would like more information about quitting or about the ill effects of smoking, please contact Project Action at 841-7123.

Margaret B. Clark
Johnstown
The writer is prevention educator for the Hamilton, Fulton, Montgomery Prevention Council.