Not a Replacement

Yesterday was Kick Butts Day, a day across the United States where youth advocates stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco. Kick Butts Day celebrated their 20 year anniversary of advocates across the nation standing up to tobacco companies that are targeting our youth to be their next customers.

1,300 Americans die every day from tobacco related illnesses, because of this, the tobacco industry is “Still Seeking Replacements” in order to stay in business. If all their customers are dying, how do the tobacco companies keep up their business? They market their products and seek "replacement smokers", specifically teens. This can be seen in tobacco industry documents.

The tobacco industry spends $1 million every hour to market tobacco products in the United States. Youth are speaking out and letting Big Tobacco know that they are #NotAReplacement for the customers they lose every single day. 

Youth in Winnebago County participated in Kick Butts Day and the #NotAReplacement Campaign. Members of the re:TH!NK Youth Coalition organized an event at Tipler Middle School and other members took selfies and posted them on social media.

Youth have a strong voice and are willing advocates for tobacco prevention. Listen to them.

 

Watch this short video created by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to learn more:





Links and Resources from: Kick Butts Day 2015

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: E-Cigarettes

"An epic battle between dirty cops and a drug dealing biker gang..." (IMDb)

Cymbeline, originally a Shakespeare play, is being adapted and updated for the big screen. Set in the 21st century United States, the movie provides lots of updates: modern clothes, vehicles, and everyday 21st century things... like e-cigarettes.

Milla Jovovich plays the character Queen and can be seen smoking an e-cigarette in the above scene as well as at other times throughout the film. The movie even includes the SmokeStik e-cigarette for sale in a convenience store scene right next to other common, household items.

The chief executive of SmokeStik International Inc., Bill Maragnos says, "I don't see a problem with glamorizing something that saves lives" in the Wall Street Journal Article. Comments like this are common when talking with e-cigarette creators, distributors, and advocates. Unfortunately, e-cigarettes are not that simple.

There is much more to the e-cigarette then what the industry is telling us (or trying to sell us). If e-cigarettes were a wonder product that saved lives would tobacco companies would be buying up e-cigarette manufactures? Would the FDA be planning to expand their tobacco regulation to include e-cigarettes? 

No. 

E-cigarettes are just new, shiny objects increasing the number of people who are addicted to nicotine. E-cigarettes are a drug delivery device.

E-cigarette labels, flavors, and comments from the manufacturers make it clear the e-cigarette industry is in the business of addiction and increasing those who are dependent on nicotine and in turn, their product. Most e-cigarette users although they might intended to quit, continue using traditional tobacco products. Using the e-cigarette where smoking is prohibited and using traditional tobacco during normal smoking/chewing times.

When movies promote the use of nicotine (no matter what the delivery device- a cigarette, chewing tobacco, e-cigarette, etc.) the behavior is, like Bill Maragnos said, glamorized. And not in a good way. Youth see movies with smoking or using e-cigarettes and that behavior doesn't seem as bad. When in reality the dangers are just switched, traded out as the harms shift.

Celebrity use of e-cigarettes, although we don't like to think they influence the way we think, play a huge role in our opinions of acceptable behavior. And e-cigarettes are definitely re-normalizing the use nicotine. Like Katherine Heigl on Late Night with David Letterman back in 2010 and more recently Julia Louis-Dreyfus at the Golden Globes.

E-cigarettes are re-normalizing what tobacco prevention has worked so hard to do. To teach youth that tobacco is dangerous, that nicotine is addictive. That no one is invincible to cancer and death. Not us. Not our favorite celebrities. Not even professional athletes. Curt Schilling, a Phillies Wall of Famer, said this about his battle with cancer, "I'll go to my grave believing [chewing] was why I got what I got...absolutely, no question in my mind about that."

Humans are not indestructible and e-cigarettes are not saving lives. Nicotine in any form is addictive and harmful to our health. Let's fight against this new industry trying to get away with Big Tobacco's old tricks. 

Summer Fun with the re:TH!NK Youth Coalition

The Youth Coalition has been (and will continue to be) busy this summer! Our focus has been on tobacco prevention and community education.  Many of the members of the Youth Coalition are also involved in FACT. FACT is Wisconsin's Youth Tobacco Prevention Program. A lot of the activities that the youth plan also count as FACTivisms for the Winnebago FACT group. Check out the photos below to see what we've been up to and how YOU can get involved!

World No Tobacco Day Cigarette Butt Clean Up: Menominee Park

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death globally and is currently responsible for 10% of adult deaths worldwide.

May 31 marked World No Tobacco Day 2014. Youth Coalition members decided that a cigarette butt clean up would be a great activity to do on this day.

The group met at Menominee Park and picked up cigarette butts and related cigarette litter around Little Oshkosh, the park pathways, boat landings, picnic areas, and along the lake shore by the beach. Pictured below are Ally Molinski, Anna Carpenter (FACT Youth Advisor), Jamie Constantine, and Brenna Root (Youth Coalition Coordinator). Grace Halstead and her mom also helped out but did not make it into the photo. The cigarette butts that were picked up in the park will be added to a display the Youth Coalition will use to educate the community about the importance of tobacco free areas and the environmental impact that cigarette butts have on the environment.

Find out more information about the World Health Organzation and World No Tobacco Day across the United States here.

Environmental Scans: A Tobacco Environment Scavenger Hunt

Six youth coalition members took to the streets of Oshkosh and surveyed local convenience stores to find out what types of products the tobacco industry is tying to manipulate youth into buying. The tobacco industry, aka Big Tobacco, spends the majority of their marketing budget in the retail environment to attract new, young user to their products. Youth Coalition members did an environmental scan of their community to see how these products are being marketed in Oshkosh. Pictured below are Kaylyn Stanek, Hannah Schacherl, and Branden Udulutch. Ally and Calista Molinski and Rachel Lee also participated. 

Youth Coalition members found that Big Tobacco companies are placing their deadly products where youth will be exposed to them while shopping at gas stations. One youth member, Ally, was surprised to see the cigarillos in a colorful display right next to the door. Cigarillos are a type of "other tobacco products" and these products are targeted towards a youth audience with bright colors and fruit flavors. Find out more about Big Tobacco's Manipulicious Products here and play the Spot the Not game with FACT!

More Exciting UPCOMING Events!

Oshkosh Riverwalk Cigarette Butt Clean Up

Thursday, July 24, 2014

11:00am - 1:00pm

Meet at the Health Department, 112 Otter Ave. Wear comfortable shoes!

Pollock Pool FACTivism

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

12:00 - 2:00pm

Youth Coalition Meeting

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

New Moon Cafe, Oshkosh

For more information and if you'd like to get involved in the re:TH!NK Youth Coalition, contact Brenna Root at broot@co.winnebago.wi.us.

Kick Butts Day Events

One of the greatest things about March is Kick Butts Day! 

Kick Butts Day is a day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco.

While tobacco prevention efforts have made great strides in the fight against tobacco, every day, more than 3,000 kids under 18 try smoking for the first time and 700 kids become new regular, daily smokers. Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., killing more than 400,000 people every year.

On Kick Butts Day, youth throughout the U.S. raise awareness about the tobacco problem, encourage peers to be tobacco-free, and support effective solutions to reduce tobacco use.

Some of re:TH!NK's very own youth in the Winnebago FACT group made a huge impact at a local middle school in Oshkosh and high school in Winneconne. The group created a display board with 2 FACTs about tobacco and had their classmates vote for which FACT they thought was the ugliest truth. 

The FACTs chosen at Tipler middle school: 

1. Urea is found in cat pee, it is also found in cigarettes.

2. Methane is found in dog poop, it is also found in cigarette smoke.

At the end of lunch the FACT group counted up the votes and (drum roll please...) here are the results!

80 votes for urea in cat pee

vs. 

117 votes for methane in dog poop 

The FACTs chosen at Winneconne high school: 

1. Tobacco kills 1075 smokers everyday.

2. 137 people die everyday from secondhand smoke.

The FACT that 137 people die everyday from secondhand smoke won by a landslide! Winneconne high school students were appalled so many people die everyday when they aren't even the ones smoking! 

A few students even said, "that one can't be true!"

The events was a huge success! Students, teachers, and staff were all interested and involved. Thanks to the Winnebago FACT crew, Ms. K, and all those at Perry Tipler Middle School and Winneconne High School. Rock on!