Kick some butts: Celebrate national "Kick Butts Day" on April 3

Did you know that smoking kills more than 430,000 Americans every year, more than AIDS, car crashes, alcohol, illegal drugs, murders, suicides and fires combined? That about 90 percent of tobacco users started before they were 18 years old? That in Mat-Su, 21 percent of middle school youth and 30 percent of high school youth have smoked cigarettes during the previous 30 days. And did you know that 11 percent of Mat-Su high-schoolers smoke daily, and 33.3 percent of those have tried unsuccessfully to quit?

Why does tobacco take such a toll on us, especially on our youth? Is it peer pressure, or lack of information about the adverse effects of tobacco? These factors contribute to tobacco use, but studies have shown that tobacco advertising and promotion by "Big Tobacco" influence adolescents' decision to begin smoking more than peer pressure. In order to replace the 5,000 people who quit smoking or die from tobacco-related illnesses every day, Big Tobacco needs to attract 5,000 new teen smokers each day.

Internal documents from tobacco companies reveal the plans of Big Tobacco to target teens and children. Claude Teague, an executive from R.J Reynolds, maker of Camel, Camel Lights and other cigarettes, wrote an internal memo in 1973 stating that, "[r]ealistically, if our company is to survive and prosper, over the long term, we must get our share of the youth market. In my opinion, this will require new brands tailored to the youth market."

In 1981, Philip Morris researcher Myron Johnston wrote a memo explaining how "[i]t is important to know as much as possible about teenage smoking patterns and attitudes. Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer, and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while in their teen years…. Because of our high share of the market among the youngest smokers, Philip Morris will suffer more than the other companies from the decline in the number of teenage smokers."

These are just a few of the statements that blatantly reveal the targeting of teens by tobacco companies. These practices continue to the present day, despite strong statements by the tobacco companies declaring otherwise and a condition of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between the tobacco companies and 46 states -- including Alaska -- which prohibited advertising and promotion aimed at young people.

Currently, $11 million is spent each year on tobacco advertising in Alaska. More than $4 billion is spent each year nationwide. Teens are twice as likely as adults to smoke the three most heavily advertised brands of cigarettes -- Marlboro, Camel and Newport. Even more frightening is the study which shows that 30 percent of 3-year-olds and 91 percent of 6-year-olds can identify "Joe Camel" as a symbol for smoking.

Encourage your children to stand up to the tactics of Big Tobacco. For more information about this or other tobacco-related issues, call the Mat-Su Tobacco Control Alliance at 373-7982.

Brian Wilson is the youth coordinator for the Mat-Su Tobacco Control Alliance.