"It is important to know as much as possible about teenage smoking patterns and attitudes. Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer . . . 1981 Philip Morris market research report on young smokers. . : . Each day, about 4,000 kids try their first cigarette; and each day another 1,000 other kids under 18 years of age become new regular, daily smokers. Thats 416,000 new underage daily smokers each year. . : . 90 percent of all adult smokers begin while in their teens, or earlier, and nearly two-thirds become regular, daily smokers before they reach the age of 19. . : . The cigarette companies spend more than $15.1 billion each year to promote their deadly products that's more than $41 million spent every day to market cigarettes, and much of that marketing directly reaches and influences kids. . : . More than 6.3 million children under age 18 alive today will eventually die from smoking-related disease, unless current rates are reversed. Source: CDC, State Highlights 2006. . : . 440,000 people die from tobacco-related illnesses every year, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

Back in the Beginning...

2003 Agreement for Classroom Edition
For many years tobacco advertisements have skillfully infiltrated middle schools and high schools throughout New York State, giving teens a daily dosage of pro-tobacco message.

In November 2003, the National Association of reached an agreement with major tobacco companies to eliminate tobacco advertisements from ‘classroom’ editions of Time, Newsweek and US News and World Report created for use in school classes such as social studies.  Meanwhile, in almost all cases, magazines going to school libraries still contained tobacco advertisements.

history
2005 Agreement for Four Magazines
In the fall of 2004, Reality Check, conducted a statewide survey of 223 middle and high schools in New York and found that more than 70% of school libraries had Time, Newsweek, People and Sports Illustrated. All of which contain tobacco advertising.  Additionally, school librarians confirmed that all four magazines are among the most popular magazines read by teens in the schools.


Outraged that tobacco companies were succeeding in targeting kids as replacement smokers even in schools, representatives of Reality Check’s Youth Board asked Attorney General Elliot Spitzer to take action to eliminate tobacco company access to kids through magazines in school libraries.


Mr. Spitzer worked with the National Association of Attorney Generals and came to a tobacco advertisement free agreement with Time, Inc. (Time, People and Sports Illustrated) and Newsweek, Inc. (Newsweek) to eliminate all tobacco advertising in the editions of these four magazines that are sent to schools.



And now…
The tobacco advertisement free arrangement was a significant step in reducing youth exposure to tobacco advertisements in magazines in schools. 


We are seeking the support of school boards and school communities groups to further reduce the number of magazines that carry tobacco advertisements in school libraries.  There are still many magazines in school libraries containing tobacco advertisements, all of which school be tobacco advertisement free.


We are asking that people sign a resolution of support demonstrate to the Attorney General, magazine publishers and tobacco companies that tobacco company marketing in school is not acceptable.


In addition we found Ebony, Essence, Jet, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life and Popular Science are carried in a significant number of school libraries. We will also be asking the Attorney General to extend the tobacco advertisement free arrangement to these magazines.












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