The tobacco industry spends more than $12 billion annually to market their deadly products to current and potential customers. In New York state alone, they spend an estimated $429 million each year, which translates to $1.1 million every single day.
Tobacco companies use lucrative contracts to ensure that many retailers are marketing their deadly products. These contracts include requirements to prominently display tobacco products in the most visible locations of stores: behind the cash register or near checkout lines where all customers, including children, are forced to see them.
Exposure to this tobacco marketing in stores is a primary cause of youth smoking. Studies show that exposure to tobacco marketing causes non-smoking adolescents to initiate smoking and to move toward regular smoking. Studies also show that even brief exposure to tobacco marketing influences adolescents' intentions to smoke.
In order to protect our children, our community must reduce youth exposure to in-store tobacco marketing. Removing or covering up tobacco products from the view of kids is an easy way to help save many youth from facing early death and disease from tobacco. Let's make the health and well-being of our youth the priority.
SARAH KRAEMER
Program coordinator,
Reality Check
Catholic Charities of Fulton &
Montgomery Counties
Johnstown