This post was sponsored by Tobacco Free New York State as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Did you know that there are 3x the amount of tobacco ads in stores located near schools? Well that helps explain why the average age of a new smoker in New York State is 13 years old. Yes, you read that right, 13! In the past four years (’14-’18) High School students’ usage of e-cigarette’s grew by 160%. This is not ok! Children also purchase or smoke over 31.6 million packs of cigarettes annually. If the average pack of cigarettes contain 20, then children buy or smoke over 632 million cigarettes a year. That is outrageous and disgusting. Let’s get tobacco marketing out of New York State!
I literally cringe when I see a smoking advertisement and cannot help but think WHY?! Why are these tobacco companies able to market something that is SO horrible for us, for our health, for our kids and for our future? The thought that our kids are not only exposed to these ads but are being targeted is heartbreaking and needs to stop.
As a Mother of two kids who are currently absorbing everything they are exposed to; from vocabulary, to manners, to our everyday behaviors, I feel so hurt by this. Smoking is definitely something that kids should not be exposed to, none the less marketed towards! Tobacco companies spend over $500k a day on marketing in New York State alone. Shouldn’t that money be used to better educate our children rather than expose them to harmful products?
Our kids have seen enough. Let’s take action and protect our kids from being exposed to tobacco products in stores – sign the pledge today! To learn more about Tobacco Free New York State click here.
I am a huge advocate of this initiative and I really believe if we come together and pledge, we can actually make New York a tobacco free state! Help spread the word by sharing on your social media!
