Jeffco Youth Stand Up to Tobacco’s Marketing Tactics

Jefferson County Breathe Easy (BE) Teams and the Tobacco-Free Jeffco Alliance hosted an event on March 19, 2014 in honor of National Kick Butts Day, an annual day of activism empowering youth to take a stand against the tobacco industry. High school BE Team students spoke to community members and policy makers about their recent “Sweet, Cheap and Deadly” campaign involving assessments of retail outlets near high schools, a photo voice project, educational outreach, and counter-marketing activities. The photographs taken by BE Team students in convenience stores and gas stations spoke to the fact that the tobacco industry is targeting youth in Jeffco through flavors and price discounts as well as novel products, including e-cigarettes. Youth encouraged adult community members to join them in addressing the problem of cheap, flavored tobacco by offering sustainable solutions to help protect generations to come.

To learn more about the “Sweet, Cheap and Deadly” campaign, please visit: tobaccofreejeffco.com/BE-Teams.html or contact Christie Preston, Youth Engagement Specialist at cpreston@jeffco.us or 303-275-7565.

Kick Butts Day

National Kick Butts Day is Wednesday March 19, 2014! Although it is only one day out of the year, the goal is to make every day Kick Butts Day. The day empowers youth in our community to stand out, speak up and seize control against tobacco companies targeting youth. Visit Kickbuttsday.org to get ideas about encouraging youth to speak up.

In Jefferson County, The Tobacco-Free Jeffco Alliance & local youth Breath Easy (BE) Teams are hosting a Kick Butts Day Dinner and educational presentation. Come and enjoy a complimentary dinner and learn about how the tobacco industry is targeting youth with SWEET, CHEAP & DEADLY tobacco products. The dinner will be held March 19, 2014 from 5 -7 pm at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center in the Carnation Room. Please RSVP by March 14 to tobaccofree@jeffco.us .

If you’ve been trying to kick the habit, Jefferson County Public Health has resources to help. Click here for more information. The Quit Line, 1-800-Quit-Now is also a great resource for those who are on the path to quitting!

Sweet Cheap and Deadly . . . Jeffco Youth Raise Awareness of Tobacco Marketing Tactics

Jefferson County youth expressed concern about the candy-flavored, cheap tobacco products currently available in stores at the annual Breathe Easy (BE) Team Youth Advocacy Workshop back in October 2013. Motivated and alarmed by the tobacco industry’ s marketing tactics, the students came together and developed the concept for “Sweet, Cheap and Deadly,” an educational campaign to raise awareness about how the tobacco industry is targeting youth. Using strategies such as retail-level promotions, discounted pricing and the use of flavors and additives intended to attract and addict young people, the tobacco industry lures youth to their products. The Sweet, Cheap and Deadly campaign involves observational scans to assess tobacco industry marketing in local retail outlets as well as educational outreach at schools, counter marketing activities and opportunities to speak with local leaders about the problem of cheap, flavored tobacco. During the week of February 10, 2014, BE Teams will host information tables at Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Golden, Jefferson and Alameda High Schools to educate their peers about deceptive tobacco industry tactics. Outreach will include collecting signatures from students who are interested in taking a stand against Big Tobacco’s concerted efforts to manipulate teens. BE Team students will have a chance to present what they learned to community members on Kick Butts Day (March 19, 2014), a national day of activism to empower youth to speak out against the tobacco industry.

If you would like to know more about the “Sweet, Cheap and Deadly” campaign or the BE Team, contact Christie Preston, Youth Engagement Coordinator at Jefferson County Public Health at 303-275-7565 or cpreston@jeffco.us.

The 2014 Surgeon General’s Report released last month highlighted the fact that tobacco control efforts have averted at least 8 million early deaths since 1965, but there is still much work to be done. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 5.6 million children alive today will die prematurely from smoking unless steps are made to stop the tobacco epidemic. View the devastating effects of smoking in Colorado and across the country.

A Deadly Killer

January is National Action Radon Month.  You can’t see, smell or taste radon gas, but it can seep into your home.  Radon  is one of the leading causes of lung cancer, second only to smoking.  Jefferson CountyPublic Health urges everyone in the community to protect their families and have their homes tested for radon.    The Environmental Protection Agency and JCPH offer the following suggestions for taking action.

• Test your home - EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon.  Testing is easy and inexpensive. Learn more about  testing your home with a kit from Jefferson County Public Health.  Call 303-271-5700.
  
• Spread the word - spend time during National Radon Action Month encouraging others to learn about radon and test their homes.  Tell your family and friends about the  health risk of radon.  Encourage them to test their homes.
  
  
• Buy a radon-resistant home - If you are considering buying a new home, look for builders who use radon-resistant new construction. Read  more about radon-resistant new construction, "Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide to Build Radon-Resistant Homes".

For more information, call 303-271-5700 or email John Moody at jmoody@jeffco.us