Sweet Temptations

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John Keightley,

Vice President of

Development

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Youth Advocates Attend

Youth Symposium in DC

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International News

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Tobacco's Tricks for Kids

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Going Paperless

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The 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the United States continues to make gradual progress towards reducing youth cigarette smoking. The survey showed smoking rates fell to new lows of 15.8 percent among high school students and 4.3 percent among middle school students in 2011. Youth smoking rates have been cut by more than half since peaking in the mid-1990s.

While these youth smoking declines reinforce the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids' proven strategies against the tobacco fight, the survey revealed some unsettling news about the use of cigars among African-American teens.

The survey found that, from 2009 to 2011, cigar smoking by African-American teens jumped from 7.1 percent to 11.7 percent. Among all high school boys, 15.7 percent smoke cigars, a rate that has not budged in years.

Cigar makers are quite savvy when it comes to marketing their tobacco products. Products such as little cigars, cigarillos and blunts are cheap, have colorful packaging and are sweet-tasting — characteristics that easily appeal to kids.

Moreover, some cigar products are marketed specifically to African-American youth by integrating cigar smoking images into pop culture including hip-hop music. For example, earlier this year, rapper Snoop Dogg

introduced a cigar brand called Executive Branch Cigarillos and even appears in a music video promoting the product.

Smaller cigars products are sold in brightly-colored packages that resemble candy packages and are available in "fun" flavors such as chocolate, strawberry, grape, watermelon and more. These sweet flavors mask the harsh flavor of tobacco and make cigars seem as harmless and fun as candy or ice cream. These products are also available individually for less than $1 while, comparatively, cigarettes are sold in packs of 20 and cost almost $6 for a pack.

A government survey shows that Black & Mild is the most popular cigar brand among 12-17 year olds, and it’s made by John Middleton, Inc., a subsidiary of Altria, which is also the parent company of Philip Morris USA.

The Campaign continues to strongly advocate for proven strategies that will help curb these alarming trends and protect kids from the dangers of tobacco. Strategies such as higher tobacco taxes, well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs that include mass media campaigns, strong smoke-free laws, and effective regulation of tobacco products and marketing.

E N G A G EWINNING SMART. SAVING LIVES.

A Publication by Campaign for

Tobacco-Free Kids

www.tobaccofreekids.org

Edition 2, Issue 3 September 2012

CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO-FREE KIDS | 1400 EYE STREET NW, SUITE 1200, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 | WWW.TOBACCOFREEKIDS.ORG

Sweet Temptations New study reveals growing popularity of cigars among kids

INS IDE TH I S I SSUE

VP’S CORNER

2012 Youth advocacy SymposiumYouth leaders from across America covene at our nation's capitol to meet with policymakers

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

In July, 29 youth leaders from around the country gathered in Washington, DC for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ Youth Advocacy Symposium sponsored by the United Health Foundation. The week-long symposium gave attendants an opportunity to learn from each other, share ideas and participate in leadership, advocacy, communications and other skill-building workshops.

"The Symposium is an opportunity to gather some of the brightest and most passionate youth advocates from around the country to motivate and empower them to continue to be change agents in their states and communities," said Ritney Castine, Associate Director, Youth Advocacy for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Young leaders also spent the week meeting with policymakers to discuss the latest marketing strategies used by tobacco companies and bring important tobacco legislation matters to the attention of lawmakers. One of the main issues the young advocates discussed with Congressional members was the marketing of cheap flavored cigars that appeal to kids.

There is currently pending legislation that would exempt many cigars from being regulated under the landmark 2009 law that not only cracked down on tobacco marketing and sales to kids, but also grants the Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products.

Our advocates made their presence known through the halls of Congress as they advocated for measures that reduce tobacco use and save lives. Their dedication is a testament to the Campaign's commitment to the building capacity of youth advocacy.

UkraineUkrainian President Viktor Yanukovych signed legislation that requires smoke-free restaurants, bars and discos and also applies to buses and cultural and governmental facilities.

VietnamThe Vietnamese government approved the country’s first-ever comprehensive tobacco control law, marking a public health milestone for the country.

Saudi ArabiaThe Saudi Arabian government significantly stepped up the nation’s fight against tobacco use by requiring public places to be smoke-free and includes water pipes and shishas.

AustraliaAustralia’s highest court upheld the world’s first law requiring that all cigarettes and other tobacco products be sold in plain packaging, free of colorful logos and other branding.

Symposium youth advocates and CTFK staff

When you work to protect children from the effects of tobacco use, a little outrage helps. Fortunately, the tobacco industry provides no shortage of reasons to be outraged. Whether it’s sweetening cigars or developing new products that appeal to young people or fighting efforts to put effective warning labels to cigarette packages, tobacco companies provide ample opportunity to be angry.

As you read this issue of Engage, you’ll learn more about what they’re doing. It will make you mad. But you’ll also read about some amazing young people who are taking a stand and who have made a commitment to join the fight. They are the future, and they are committed to building a future in which tobacco companies don’t look at them as “replacement smokers." You will also read about how we are taking this fight overseas, working with important partners to create success around the world.

We all have the opportunity to follow their example, to take steps to protect ourselves, our families and our communities from the devastating effects of tobacco use. You can take action and share your opinions with the policy makers that represent you, you can talk to your kids about the dangers of tobacco use or you can support our efforts to reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco use. To find out what you can do to help, go to www.tobaccofreekids.org.

Thank you,

John KeightleyVice President, Development

CTFK's own Ritney Castine accompanies youth advocates Brittani Jones & Queenly Amankwah on a visit to Mass. Rep. James McGovern's DC office.

A Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) released in August by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that tobacco companies continue to manipulate their products in effort to avoid taxes and regulations aimed at reducing smoking. This latest ruse undermines the fight against the nation's leading cause of preventable death.

The report found that tobacco companies mislabeled roll-your-own tobacco as pipe tobacco and increased the weight of many cigars to escape higher tobacco taxes imposed by a 2009 federal law. Tobacco companies can easily attract kids and keep smokers smoking by keeping product prices low.

The findings from this report simply reinforce the need to equalize taxes on all tobacco products and for the Food and Drug Administration to regulate all tobacco products by:

• increasing tax rates on all tobacco products to the same rate as cigarettes to prevent tobacco companies from taking advantage of tax disparities to increase use of lower-taxed products;

• rejecting pending legislation that would exempt some cigars from FDA regulation, which would create yet another loophole that tobacco companies would exploit to market their products to kids and discourage smokers from quitting.

According to the report, tobacco companies took full advantage of loopholes found in a 2009 federal law that increased the federal cigarette tax to $1.01 per pack and taxed small cigars and roll-your-own tobacco at the same rate as cigarettes. However, larger cigars (those weighing more than three pounds per 1,000 cigars), pipe tobacco and smokeless tobacco were taxed at much lower rates, spawning widespread tax evasion schemes.

The CDC report concluded that the availability of low-taxed and less-regulated tobacco products threatens efforts to reduce tobacco use. Congress and the FDA must close these loopholes that are harming public health and helping tobacco companies target our children.

GIVE A TRIBUTE GIFTWhen your gift in honor or in memory is received, we send a personalized tribute to the person or family you indicated, notifying them of your thoughtful donation.

To donate in memory or honor of someone special, contact Louella Haymon at lhaymon@tobaccofreekids.org or log on to www.tobaccofreekids.org/donate.

TRIBUTE GIFTSThe following people have made gifts in honor or in memory of a loved one, friend or colleague.

June 4, 2012 to September 11, 2012

IN MEMORY OF:

Mr. DeWitt AeblyMs. Jann Pharo

Imgard BollerMs. Audrey DouthitMs. Valerie ChehMr. Barry Ableman and Ms. Linda RosenbergAndrea and Dominick EspositoMs. Erin GreenMathematica Policy Research, Inc.Ms. Lucy Dalimonte

Mr. Abe OtmishiMs. Diane ShodaMs. Leslie KobyMs. Maureen WalterEtch, LLCMs. Magnolia RiegoMs. Nina TahmasebiMr. Richard Hurt

Mr. Martin TallentMr. Jonathan FutrellMs. Jane Futrell

Judy WilkenfeldRose Community Foundation

Mrs. Marlynn ScottDr. Susan Boiko

Mr. Ira PlotkinRose Community FoundationMs. M Peyton BucyMs. Carol OakmanDr. and Mrs. Robert L. FinkelmeierMrs. Louisa TarulloMrs. and Mr. Janice Barroll

Mr. James GillenMr. Robert WasilickBlackboard, Inc.Ms. Leigh GillickMs. Janemarie MaselliMs. Lori CiupinskiMr. Kevin O'KeeffeMs. Lori KilfeatherMs. Norma OramMr. Kevin BurkeDr. and Mrs. Richard LollaMr. George H. Labar

tobacco's tricks are for kidsCDC Report Exposes Tobacco Companies’ Latest Marketing Ploys

CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO-FREE KIDS | 1400 EYE STREET NW, SUITE 1200, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 | WWW.TOBACCOFREEKIDS.ORG

CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO-FREE KIDS 1400 EYE STREET NW, SUITE 1200 WASHINGTON, DC 20005

In an effort to become more environmentally-friendly, our ENGAGE newsletter will only be offered online beginning January 2013. If you prefer a hardcopy of ENGAGE, there will be a printable version available online as well.

If you would like to keep up to date with our latest news and developments, please sign up to receive updates and an emailed version online at www.tobaccofreekids.org.

Thank you for your interest and your support!

The Development Team

WE're going paperless!