Raising tobacco-free kids

According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the tobacco industry spends more than $12.4 billion each year on marketing. That is more than  $34.1 million a day. Unfortunately, a lot of that advertising is aimed at kids.

 Think about the candy aisle at your local store. What do you see? Big League Chew? Candy cigarettes? Why are we supporting candy manufacturers who make products that look like tobacco? What message is that sending our kids? If we allow our kids to use a product like Big League Chew, which looks like chewing tobacco that big league baseball players use, will they understand they shouldn’t use real chewing tobacco?

 Did you know that there is a new product called Orbs? It looks like a package of breath mints. It is really a product made by Camel. It is dissolvable tobacco, and it is being sold at convenience and grocery stores, right next to the candy.

I am attending The National Summit on Smokeless Tobacco Sept. 21 – 23 at Monona Terrace in Madison. These very issues will be discussed, and we’ll learn about resources on how health care providers and community members can help keep their kids free from smokeless and spit tobacco. I’ll report back what I learn. 

–Bridget Clementi, executive director, Children’s Health Education Center