Area Teens Fight Big Tobacco
Nearly 22 percent of Nebraska teens smoke, according to Tobacco Free Nebraska. That’s down from recent years, but it’s still far from the 2010 Health People objective of 15 percent.
No Limits is fighting back against Big Tobacco. Outside in the rain in Grand Island, Central City, and Lincoln, area teens rallied against what inside, 20-year-old Jeremy Gnuse rings up by the minute.
“I think that we can prevent it from happening to us by knowing what we’re doing and trying
to help others,” Kearney High sophomore Syndney Gabriel and Broken Bow junior Christine Horner said.
‘Prevent it from happening to us;’ i.e. being influenced by Big Tobacco. The FDA reports almost 90 percent of adult smokers start as teenagers.
“We don’t want them addicting another generation and this is their way of getting the message out,” No Limits Assistant Coordinator Libby Kohn said.
It seems to be working. Just two months ago, the FDA banned flavored cigarettes, saying 17-year-olds are three times more likely to use them then 25-year-olds. No Limits youth say the mis-leading marketing claims they’re less addictive and less harmful.
“By putting it out to kids, and teenage girls by putting it in 17 magazine,” Horner said.
Flavored spitless tobacco is still on store shelves, and even though Gnuse sells teens more chew than cigarettes, he says they rarely buy the flavored stuff.
“A lot of them, if they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it, so it’s not going to matter whether they’re doing it because of the flavor.”
Ever more the reason for no limits to speak up for their peers. With this year’s federal cigarette tax hike and state-wide smoking ban, advocates hope this message continues to reach their generation.
“It’s been fantastic,” Kohn said. “A lot of them work in restaurants and rural communities and for the first time they’re really seeing an impact on their community, more of a presence.
Reporter’s Notes: Stacia Kalinoski:
Aside from the rallies, youth from across the state were busy generating more ideas to fight Big Tobacco this weekend at their annual No Limits 2009 Fall Summit.
Nov 23, 2009 Nebraska
