Despite promises, ‘big tobacco’ still targeting kids
5/20/2007 Tahlequah, OK Teddye Snell Tahlequah Daily Press (www.tahlequahdailypress.com) Although “Joe Camel” virtually disappeared after a 1998 settlement between the states and the tobacco companies, the industry’s marketing to children has not. And that concerns Louise Micolites. Micolites, coordinator for the Cherokee County Tobacco Control Program, and understands the need to prevent youth from using tobacco products. “Tobacco is so hard to quit; the best thing to do is never start,” said Micolites. “Big Tobacco knows most people who smoke begin before they turn 18, and most of those become lifelong customers.” Cherokee County Health Coalition Coordinator Carol McKiel gets angry just thinking about children being used as targets for boosting tobacco sales. “Tobacco may not be able to advertise on TV anymore, but you see smoking in Disney movies,” said McKiel. “A new study by Dartmouth Medical School shows smoking in movies has increased in recent years.” According to the press release issued by Dartmouth, the study McKiel refers to suggests exposure to movie smoking accounts for smoking initiation among more than one-third of the U.S. adolescents. It concludes that limiting exposure of young adolescents to movie smoking could have important public health implications. This report and others have led Congress to seek possible FDA regulation of tobacco. Dr. Elmer Huerta, incoming president of the American Cancer Society and director of the Cancer Preventorium at the Washington Hospital Center, testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in February about such regulation. “The need for FDA [...]