Neighbor News
Brentwood youth spread holiday cheer and awareness on Big Tobacco
Tobacco companies use menthol to make their products smoother and better tasting
Brentwood, NY- As Brentwood Reality Check youth spread holiday cheer at Brentwood School District’s 10th Annual Tree Lighting, they also worked to raise awareness for a critical public health issue: the tobacco industry’s use of menthol to attract and addict smokers. The event is a yearly tradition to bring the community together at the holidays. At the Reality Check table, youth educated community members on the ways the tobacco industry’s manipulative marketing practices impact youth.
While patrons enjoyed hot chocolate and minty candy canes, Reality Check youth spoke to attendees about the dangers of a different kind of mint flavored product – menthol tobacco products. Tobacco companies use menthol to make their products smoother and better tasting, making smoking easier to start and harder to quit. “This is especially harmful because more than half of youth between 12 and 17 years old who smoke use menthol cigarettes,” said Reality Check coordinator Stacy Dacelien.
Youth are also influenced by tobacco product placement and advertisements seen on screen. During the event, Reality Check youth member Kenia Juarez collected dozens of signatures in support of making films that feature smoking rated R, which would limit the amount of youth exposure to smoking images by millions.
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With firsthand experience of tobacco’s effects, Reality Check’s messages about tobacco resonated with former smokers who shared their stories of perseverance. They received homemade paper fortune cookies containing inspirational and encouraging messages written by Reality Check members in true fashion of the holiday spirit.
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The Tobacco Action Coalition of LI is one of 21 Advancing Tobacco Free Communities’ grants funded by the NYS DOH’s Bureau of Tobacco Control and administered by the American Lung Association. Our grant is comprised of a community engagement and youth action component, Reality Check, who work collaboratively to promote environments open to creating a tobacco-free norm as well as educating and empowering our youth to become change agents within their communities.
