Take Action And Protect Our Kids From Being Exposed To Tobacco In Stores By Signing The TobaccoFreeNYS Petition Today!
Take Action And Protect Our Kids From Being Exposed To Tobacco In Stores By Signing The TobaccoFreeNYS Petition Today!
This post was sponsored by Tobacco Free New York State as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
It is terrifying to see how far tobacco companies will go to in order to make new customers out of our youth and honestly I have seen enough. Did you know that the average age of a new smoker in New York State is 13? Well it is and it’s the reason that I was so adamant to share the Tobacco Free New York State and Seen Enough Tobacco Initiative with everyone that I can as my family and children are everything to me. I am a former smoker who quit smoking not only to ensure my overall health and wellness but most importantly to set the example for my children as I would never want to see them pick up a cigarette…. ever.
It is truly time for us to recognize what tobacco companies have in store for our children as we cannot ignore this any longer. Our kids need us as every day in New York State, the tobacco companies are spending over half a million dollars to market their products and 90% of those funds are geared towards in-store advertising which is crazy to me! Think about it… the bright colors and large advertising are everywhere at the checkout section of our convenience stores with there being rows and rows of cigarettes for our kids to see each and every time they are there.
The more that our kids are exposed to the products and advertising, the more likely they are to become smokers and tobacco companies know this. Tobacco marketing is also known to promote heavily near schools and low-income neighborhoods because they try and take advantage of those most vulnerable which is down right disgusting.
Take a look at this video from the #SeenEnoughTobacco Initiative:
Crazy right? Well it does not stop there as we have a new issue with e-cigarettes as well. Did you know that from 2014 to 2018 e-cigarette sales grew a whopping 160% among high school students?!? My daughter tells me all of the time about all of the kids in her school using e-cigarettes each and every day. Her high school principal has even sent home letters regularly pertaining to e-cigarettes and vaping and they have held meetings with parents discussing this out of control problem as well in recent months.
Seriously… it is time to tell tobacco that enough is enough as our kids have seen enough! Let’s take action NOW to protect our kids from being exposed to tobacco products in stores ~ Sign The Pledge Today!
21 Comments
Michael
Hopefully this will become true. Hopefully this will be a success movement. Please! With you all the way. Not helpful really in any way as people use it for temporary relief and that is not worth the sustain req. it needs
Rosy
It is VERY terrifying that tobacco companies go THAT far.
We shouldn’t let young minds be tainted with such a thing.
Britt
It’s sad to see how young kids are starting – I know I started far younger than I would allow the kids I work with today to even consider experimenting if I had my choice! I am glad to see, however, that as we learn more about the risks of cigarette smoke, we are taking steps where possible to protect the next generation.
mcushing7
Could not have said it better myself 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Heather Barber McMechan
This is such a great initiative. I think it’s important to have the kids away from harmful chemicals. Thanks for passing this information along.
mcushing7
Yes….. it is super important to teach our kids the dangers of smoking. They are so impressionable and it is a shame that our young children are being targeted so young. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Kirsten Brusse
Tobacco is so gross and so bad for you. Thank for for drawing attention to this issue.
mcushing7
Yes it is…. and I am ashamed that I am a former smoker but grateful that it was easy to quite and am healthy. I was one of those kids that picked itup which is why I feel so strongly about this as they are preying on our youth!
David Elliott
We definitely need to protect our children from these products. I think creating harsher penalties for those who would give these to kids or would sell them to children is something that should be looked into as well. And yes with the E-cigs and flavors they do, it has taken hold with younger teens. It makes me sad.
mcushing7
Yes David… love these ideas and I agree. The vaping and ECigs are a true issue as my daughter says that all the kids are doing it in her high school and there is no smell so it is so easy for them to do. They even do it in class…. crazy and a real problem.
Cyn Gagen
My dad started smoking at age 10. Apparently it was a socially acceptable thing back then. My dad also died from lung cancer. I am 100% behind anything that helps protect our kids from being exposed to tobacco!
mcushing7
Thank you for your support and I am so sorry about your Dad. My mom gas been a smoker since she was a teen and she smoked while I was a kid and still does… but back then they smoked in the house and everything so it was very different in the 70’s and 80’s for sure.Thanks for you support again!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
I love this! Hopefully, many people will follow. Let us protect our children!
mcushing7
I could not have said it better myself! Thank you 🙂
Msddah
This is so important as second hand smoking is as bad as smoking. Great petition!
Kushigalu
Thank you so much for sharing this information today. Very important to teach our kids the dangers of smoking!
Ada
Yes this is such a great cause! So very important.
Gina Hidalgo
It really is disgusting what tobacco companies will do to make a profit. Thanks for bringing these issues and this petition to light!
Nikki Hall
It’s so funny because my son’s dad smokes and him being exposed to him smoking disgusts him and he says he will never smoke. I think that it def shouldn’t be something advertised though because it’s totally bad for you and shouldn’t be something to entice new people to buy and start a terrible habit.
Cynthia Mackintosh
Thank you for speaking up about this subject! I hate tobacco and can’t stand to be near the smoke of it. Kids nowadays are so easily exposed to it.
mcushing7
Cynthia… totally agree and yes…. they are over exposed which is sad. Glad there are programs out there to educate.