Earlier this year, I wrote a post on how the tobacco industry is marketing 80% of their annual $8.8 million dollars on impulse tobacco sales that grabs the attention of our youth. No wonder 2,800 kids in the USA try their first cigarette every day. $24 million dollars is spent every day in the form of advertising tobacco. Want to know why? The tobacco industry NEEDS “Replacement Smokers” to replace the 1/2 Million Americans that die every year from tobacco related diseases.
Enough is enough. I’ve decided to shop tobacco free so that my kids don’t become replacement smokers.
I received a promotional item to facilitate this post.
Don’t Let Your Child Become a Replacement Smoker
I am doing my part to protect my kids from in-your-face tobacco advertisements by shopping tobacco-free.
Don’t believe the tobacco industry is marketing to kids? Why else would they promote candy-flavored cigarettes? I’m not talking about the candy cigarettes that were popular when we are kids – I’m talking about cigarettes that taste like candy.
The tobacco industry also introduced low-cost cigarettes to get our youth hooked.
There is a reason the tobacco industry spends $1 million a hour advertising tobacco – it works and it kills.
What can you do? Support stores in your city that don’t sell tobacco. Find them on the ShopTobaccoFree website. There are many tobacco free locations in Summit County including CVS, Medicine Shoppe, ALDI, Target, and Roses.
By shopping these locations, we are protecting our children’s eyes from the point of sale ads. We are also showing businesses that our money goes where our values go!
We recently switched pharmacies to CVS, a tobacco-free store. Not only has CVS stopped selling tobacco but they are on a mission to help smokers quit! CVS offers smokers a helping hand when it comes to quitting. They offer assessments, stop smoking aids, personalized plans, coaching, and support. This is a store that I can support whole-heartedly.
In addition to shopping tobacco free, you have the power to stop other retailers from selling tobacco. It’s easy! Ask retailers to stop by writing on their Facebook wall or Tweeting them straight from the Shop Tobacco Free website.
Don’t think you can make a difference? Think again. Since the Shop Tobacco Free campaign started earlier this year, 754 new stores across America went tobacco-free! Yay! Isn’t that fantastic?! I haven’t found any new locations in Summit County, but every location makes a difference.
When those companies do go tobacco-free, it is important for us to support those stores as well. You can send a quick social share to those that are tobacco-free on the Shop Tobacco Free website too, let them know you appreciate their decision.
I don’t want my kids – or your kids – to become the replacement smokers that the tobacco industry needs to replace the millions they kill…that is why I talk to my kids about the dangers of smoking, I shop tobacco-free, and I’m doing my part to get other businesses to go tobacco-free. I’m working hard to share my concern with one of my favorite grocery stores in the area – Giant Eagle. I would love for them to go tobacco-free!
What do you think? Share your thoughts socially with #ShopTobaccoFree and #NotAReplacement
Connect with Tobacco Free Kids on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
