June 2018 Volume 7, Issue 6

A Closer Look

Local Teens Spoke Out At Altria’s Shareholder Meeting Inside This Issue: Local Teens Spoke Out At Al- 1 tria’s Shareholder Meeting World No Tobacco Day 2018— 2 How Does Tobacco Impact Hornell? Prevalence of Current Smoking 3 Among Adults in New York by County “Strike Out” Tobacco Flyer 3 Despite the 80-degree forecast for Richmond, products where kids are likely to see it?” VA on Thursday, May 17, a cold front passed Studies show that kids who shop in stores with through downtown just in time for the Altria tobacco marketing, such as gas stations and Group shareholders annual meeting. The icy convenience stores, are 64 percent more likely to blast, stormed through the area around the start smoking than their friends who don’t. Richmond Convention Center, and included 60 “Despite what they say, Philip Morris USA youth from Reality Check New York and No spends billions marketing their deadly products Limits Nebraska carrying snowmen puppets and right in front of us,” said Amber Updike, a ice cube shaped balloons. Watkins Glen student and Reality Check This third annual pilgrimage for the Reality champion. “Enough is enough, already!” Check teens from across New York State, is Here are more cold, hard facts: If you think something is themed “Cold As Ice” to parody the new - According to the 2014 Surgeon General's Re- wrong with this picture, Marlboro Ice Blast packaging and marketing port, if current smoking rates continue, 5.6 you should see what’s campaign that has stormed through retail stores million Americans younger than 18 who are alive being served up in stores. earlier this year. The group’s goal was to tell today are projected to die prematurely from % OF Altria Group, the nation’s No. 1 tobacco smoking-related disease. TEENS company and owner of Marlboro maker Philip - In New York State, 108,500 high school 75 Morris USA (PMUSA), that they’ve seen enough students smoke cigarettes and each year more Tobacco companies place most of tobacco marketing and they want the company to than 10,600 kids under 18 become new daily their advertising in stores where Shop at least once per week do something about it. smokers. Some youth took their chilling stories right to the This Altria shareholders demonstration was a top – the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer joint effort between Reality Check NY and of Altria Group, Martin J. Barrington. Three Re- Counter Tools of Chapel Hill, NC, a non-profit STTAC Staff: ality Check teens were given shareholder proxy organization that provides training to public tickets and will go inside the meeting to address health workers who are working on point of sale Sarah Robbins, BS corporate tobacco executives and ask questions. tobacco control. In preparation for demonstrat- Program Director [email protected] “Philip Morris USA claims it doesn’t market to ing on Thursday, the Reality Check youth will kids and doesn’t want them to start smoking,” spend all day Wednesday learning about tobacco * Contact STTAC and get FREE said Samantha White, coordinator of the Reality control policies, how the tobacco industry signage for your worksite when Check program of the Southern Tier. “If that’s contracts with retailers and how they can stand youSamantha develop White, a new tobaccoBA -free the case, then why are they spending $9.6 billion up, speak out and make a difference in the fight groundsReality Check or entryway Coordinator policy for [email protected] business, while supplies last! per year to market their Marlboro and other against big tobacco.

Source: 2014 Surgeon General’s Report

1 World No Tobacco Day 2018—How Does Tobacco Impact Hornell?

SMOKE FREE MEDIA Social Networking Sites  Twitter accounts and Facebook fan pages exist for many tobacco brands and are accessible to youth.  A 2010 study caught British American Tobacco employees taking advantage of social networking sites to create youth accessible fan pages.

This year for World No Tobacco Day on May coupons/discounts. One resident recognized the 31st, Hornell residents and local organizations impact tobacco marketing and stated, “… at eye were invited to join the Southern Tier Tobacco level, when you’re talking to the person cashing Awareness Coalition (STTAC) and learn about you out, are the cigarettes. How easy is that?” how the community of Hornell can reduce the The event also featured local speakers including negative impact of tobacco. Sherry DeGaetano of Steuben Cancer Services During March and April the Southern Tier To- and Laura Vetter of St. James Mercy Hospital. bacco Awareness Coalition (STTAC) partnered Sherry was able to highlight the direct impact that with community organizations to arrange several tobacco has on local cancer rates and the commu- "neighborhood conversations” with city of Hor- nity of Hornell as a whole, while Laura spoke nell residents. The purpose of these conversations about her experiences as the facilitator for the was to better understand the impact of tobacco neighborhood conversations. and the influence of deceptive marketing tactics in Tobacco product advertising and displays in Hornell. Each day in New York State, the tobacco stores give youth the impression that tobacco industry spends more than half a million dollars to products are easily accessible. Also, the more to- market its products---90% of those dollars is bacco retailers there are near schools, the more spent in stores on the visual displays of tobacco likely children are to smoke. According to the products behind the counter, indoor and outdoor 2017 STTAC survey, 70% of Hornell residents are signage, and price discounts and promotional in favor of a policy that would prohibit the sale of payments to retailers. Exposure to tobacco mar- tobacco products in stores that are located near keting increases the likelihood that teens will start schools. Those concerned with youth tobacco use smoking, adults who smoke will experience more and helping tobacco users successfully quit can cravings and impulse buying, and people trying to advocate for local ordinances that increase the quit will be less successful. legal purchase age of tobacco to 21, restrict the Over 25 Hornell residents shared their voice and display of tobacco products, limit the number, opinion on the toll tobacco has taken on them- type or location of tobacco retailers and restrict selves, their family, and their community. Personal price promotions. www.SeenEnoughTobacco.org stories shared focused on the devastating health impacts, the addictiveness of tobacco, and the If you are interested in learning more about this deceptive influence of tobacco marketing and initiative please contact STTAC at (607)737-2858.

Source: 2014 Surgeon General’s Report 2 Prevalence of Current Smoking Among Adults in New York by County

The Southern Tier Tobacco Awareness Coalition (STTAC) seeks to build healthier communities through tobacco free living in Chemung, Schuyler, & Steuben, NY. STTAC has 4 initiatives:

 To reduce the impact of retail tobacco product marketing on youth, Point-of Sale (POS).  To increase the number of Tobacco Free Outdoor (TFO) policies, which includes tobacco free worksites, parks, vehicles, entryways and other public outdoor areas.  To increase the number of smoke-free multi-unit housing (SF-MUH) policies. County level prevalence of current smoking was obtained from the 2016 New York State (NYS)  Eliminate pro-tobacco imagery Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The BRFSS defines a current smoker as an from youth-rated movies and adult over the age of 18 who has smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smokes the internet, Smoke-Free Media on at least some days. Current smoking rates in NYS vary by county from 7.0% to 29.0%, with a (SFM). state rate of 14.2%. The five counties with the lowest smoking rates in the state are Rockland (7.0%), Westchester (8.4%), Nassau (8.5%), New York (9.6%), and Queens (10.9%). The five counties with the highest smoking rates in the state are Oswego (29.0%), Franklin (28.8%), Orleans (28.6%), Jef- ferson (28.0%), and Montgomery (26.8%). County level estimates can be used to identify areas of concern, track progress for program interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of tobacco control STTAC Contact Information: policies. Monitoring county level rates can be helpful towards the development of future program interventions. Local level tobacco control programs can also use this information to educate local Physical & Mailing Address: decision‐makers and increase community engagement.

 103 Washington Street Chemung - 25.9% Schuyler - 19.0% Steuben - 22.6% Elmira, NY 14901 Source: 2016 NYS BRFSS Office Phone number:  Main Line: 607-737-2858  Director: 737-2028 ext.73480  Reality Check Coordinator: 737-2028 ext.73483  Community Engagement Coordinator: 737-2028 ext.73482  Program Assistant: 737-2028 ext.73481

We’re on the Web, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube! www.sttac.org www.facebook/sttac www.facebook/rcsttac 1-866-NY-QUITS www.twitter/sttacny www.nysmokefree.com www.youtube/sttacny

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