SAFE Glen Cove Coalition: Take Down Tobacco Day

Since 1996 the United States celebrations for Take Down Tobacco Day, also known as Kick Butts Day, have continued to focus their efforts on “empowering individuals to stand up and speak out against the tobacco industry.” Tobacco companies are aggressively marketing deadly and addictive products while earning large profits. Companies fight policies that would reduce tobacco use as they continue to develop new products to engage youth using fun flavors that contain large doses of nicotine. April 1st marks the start to kicking cigarette butts to the curb and beginning the process towards ending tobacco use.

The tobacco industry has a long history of targeting kids with flavored products, like flavored e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. Flavors improve the taste and mask the harshness of tobacco products, making it easier for kids to try these products and ultimately become addicted. The evidence is overwhelming that flavors play a key role in youth starting and continuing to use tobacco products, leading to addiction.

Once again, the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition’s Youth and School committees held the event with SAFE’s Bilingual Life Skills Trainer, Monica Salinas via the Glen Cove Youth Bureau’s After 3 Program and Ms. Amanda Sullivan, Glen Cove Middle School Health teacher.

Take Down Tobacco Day’s programming followed the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids stance: alerting youth to Big Tobacco’s misleading advertising. The organizations’ goal is to raise the stakes and challenge young people to call the industry’s bluff. This year’s theme “Unmasking the Appeal” invited students to explore how various industries market their products to young people. As they engaged in the slideshow presentation, they examined strategies used by companies to attract the youth by using colorful advertisements, celebrity endorsements, and social media campaigns. These tactics aim to create a strong emotional connection with the youth, making the products seem more desirable. To put students’ knowledge to the test, they participated in a Kahoot game. The interactive game helped reinforce what they have learned and how industries appeal to youth. It is essential for young people to think critically about the messages they receive from advertisements and to make smart choices about the products they consume. Understanding marketing strategies empowers youth to navigate their world that is already filled with advertisements.

As this event continues to thrive across America, the decline in cigarette smoking has provided hope to continue the efforts to deter the younger generation’s use of electronic cigarettes and vaping cigarettes. One day can change a person’s life forever, if there’s effort, prevention education and awareness and environmental strategies being offered to communities then there can be change for the better overall.

“One Juul pod contains as much nicotine as a whole pack of cigarettes. Tell a friend or younger sibling; don't be fooled or swayed don’t use tobacco- LIVE SAFE!”

“Take Down Tobacco Day” is a perfect day to commit to Quitting, and for creating awareness of the dangers of e-cigarettes to our youth. For help Quitting contact the American Lung Association- Lung Helpline at: 800-Lung-USA or the N.Y. State Smokers’ Quitline at 866-NY-QUITS (866-697-8487).

SAFE, Inc. is the only alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention, and education agency in the City of Glen Cove. Its Coalition is concerned about tobacco/vaping use seeking to educate and update the community regarding its negative consequences. For more information, please visit the Youth and Tobacco Use and Vaping Facts and Myths Pages of SAFE’s website to learn more about how vaping is detrimental to your health at www.safeglencove.org. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please visit: http://www.safeglencove.org/ and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition.