SAFE Glen Cove Coalition: World No Tobacco Day 2022

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is a national event that informs the public about the dangers of tobacco use. World No Tobacco Day was recognized by Glen Cove Elementary and Middle School students enrolled in SAFE’s Life Skills Training (LST) program and students enrolled in Mr. Gallo’s Health Education classes at the Glen Cove High School.

Youth were made aware of the Tobacco Industry’s efforts to market their deadly product to youth, and for youth to speak out against the deceptive messages and make their voices heard. SAFE and their partner, Tobacco Action Coalition of LI, Community Engagement Specialist Carol Meschkow have been collaborating with the Glen Cove Youth Bureau and the Glen Cove School District to educate the local teens to be weary of the lure of Point of Sale marketing, and the dangers of all flavored tobacco products. Annually for WNTD the partners have been bringing youth centered programs to the schools to afford an opportunity for youth to make their collective voices heard against the marketing tactics.

During the program, SAFE’s LAT Program Facilitator, Ms. Brenda Lopez, presented a power point to the students on the event and provided virtual activities for the students to participate in. The following Tobacco Facts were shared with the students:

• Menthol cigarettes are not less harmful than other cigarettes and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found that they are likely a greater public health risk than non menthol products
• 19.6% of high school teens and 47% of middle school teens smoked e-cigarettes in 2020
• Research show that menthol makes smoking/vaping easier to start and harder to quit
• Menthol creates a cooling sensation in the throat and airways when inhaled
• E-Cigarettes can be just as harmful as traditional cigarettes
• Vaping Liquid often contains tobacco which is highly addictive
• More than half of the youth 54% ages 12-17 smoke menthol
• Scientific evidence show that tobacco companies advertising promotes and influences young people to start using tobacco products
• The average age of a new smoker in NYS is just 13
• Even brief exposure to second-hand smoke can cause asthma attacks
• Even small amounts of second-hand smoke can cause a heart attack.
• Air near an outdoor smoker can be 50-times more toxic than surrounding air
• When e-cigarette and cigarette waste isn’t disposed of properly, it makes its way into the environment where it ends up polluting water, air, and land with toxic chemicals, heavy metals and residual nicotine. An estimated 766,571 metric tons of cigarette butts make their way into the environment every year
• E-cigarette cartridges, such as JUUL pods, are single-use products that contain plastic, electronic and chemical waste and many of them may also end up as litter. Inexpensive, flavored disposable e-cigarettes such as Puff Bar.
• In 2019, cigarette butts were the most littered item in U.S. beaches and waterways, with close to a million (900,178) pieces collected.
• Stores located near schools contain nearly 3x the amount of tobacco promotions compared to stores NOT near schools
• Young people are twice as likely as adults to recall tobacco advertising, and it makes them more likely to smoke
• “Today’s teenager is tomorrow’s potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while still in their teens.” - Tobacco Industry Document

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 use and vaping seeking to educate and update the community regarding its negative consequences in collaboration with Carol Meschkow, Manager- Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island. For more information please visit the Vaping Facts and Myths Page 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 our website at: www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition.