Letter to the Editor

It's time to quit

using tobacco

To the Editor:

In 1981, Philip Morris stated "today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer." They actively seek "replacement customers" who will start using their products to enable them to continue to make money.

While Big Tobacco denies they are targeting youth, one merely has to look at the new products on the market. Some examples include blueberry and mango flavored cigars and blunts (empty cigar wrappers -- you supply the tobacco), SNUS (spitless tobacco -- easy to use in school because you don't have to worry about spitting anymore), and now Camel has come out with "dissolvables" -- lozenges, sticks (the size of tooth picks), and strips (similar to breath freshener strips). The dissolvables contain 60 -- 300% more nicotine than a cigarette.

According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, more than $13.3 billion is spent annually on deceptive advertising and marketing. The result? Big Tobacco addicts more than 1,000 youth every day; one in three will die prematurely because of tobacco use. Do you want this to be your child?

March 25 is Kick Butts Day, a day celebrated nationally to raise awareness that the big tobacco companies target youth. Kick Butts Day seeks to empower both youth and adults to speak up. Kick Butts Day is a great time to talk to your children about tobacco. It's also a great day for you to quit tobacco.

Greene County Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Coalition can point you in the right direction. A new adult cessation class will begin April 16 at 6 p.m. at Greene County General Hospital. To register, call Chris Sparks at 847-9496. The Indiana confidential toll-free quitline can also help. Call 1 -800-QUIT-NOW.

There has never been a better time to quit!

Nancy Cummings

GCTPC Coordinator

Bloomfield