Youth Speak Out Against Chewing Tobacco; Pembroke Group Joins Others in Demonstration

Source from:  thedailyobserver.ca 12/14/2007

The Pembroke Youth Action Alliance calls chewing tobacco 'cancer candy'. Tobacco companies make chew available in a variety of flavours, such as green apple, cherry, berry, peach, vanilla, wintergreen and spearmint, similar to candy and appealing to youth. "As youth, we need to be aware of tactics used by an industry which markets products that kill 50 per cent of long-term users," said Marcie Foster, peer leader from Pembroke Youth Action Alliance. "There's nothing cool about having a hairy tongue, missing jaw, yellow teeth or bad breath. More importantly, there's nothing cool about dying young." That's why peer leaders with the alliance joined forces with the Eastern Ontario's Area Youth Coalition (AYC) to raise awareness about the dangers of chewing tobacco and aggressive tobacco industry marketing tactics aimed at children and young adults. More than 100 youth marched along the streets of Ottawa, demonstrating stomp routines to the beat of accompanying drums. "Chewing tobacco is not a safe alternative to cigarettes," said Josh Oulton, peer leader from Pembroke. "Like cigarettes, chew contains nicotine and cancer causing chemicals, making it addictive and dangerous to your health. One pinch of chewing tobacco held in the mouth for 30 minutes releases as much nicotine as smoking three to four cigarettes." Since the Smoke Free Ontario Act (SFOA) banned smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces, the AYC fears that youth may get the wrong impression about chewing tobacco because there is no smoke. The tobacco industry has enhanced these misconceptions, providing smaller warning labels on chew tins and increasing their advertising and promotion of chewing tobacco products since the SFOA was implemented. "As more and more youth choose not to smoke, or to quit smoking, there is an increased risk they may try chewing tobacco," said Christina Van Starkenburg, another Pembroke peer leader. "While the tobacco industry has gone to great lengths to promote smokeless as a 'safer alternative to smoking', the fact is that smokeless isn't safe." The AYC of Eastern Ontario is a collaboration of youth from expos‚ in Ottawa, Veritas in Cornwall, PYAA in Pembroke, Take Charge in Kingston, Unfiltered in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, and Raize in Leeds, Grenville. These groups are part of the Smoke Free Ontario strategy. To find out more facts about the tobacco industry, how to become a Peer Leader, or how to support the Eastern Area Youth Coalition, visit www.smokefreeeast.ca Enditem