Youth Involvement Makes a Difference!
A wide range of tobacco,
smoking, and health-related
facts are used by tobacco
control professionals and
activists; however, until
now these facts have not
been located in a single,
easy to use database. Facts
relating to tobacco, smoking,
and related health topics
were compiled by research
staff at the American Legacy
Foundation from a range of
government reports and other
reputable published sources.
These facts, along with their
sources, are organized by
category into a single database,
which is located on the Internet
with free access to the public.
It is searchable by category
or keyword.
The Tobacco Fact Clipboard
enables users to quickly
access and disseminate facts
from a single source. Users
can select facts from several
categories, including "Tobacco
Related Death & Disease" and "Youth & Tobacco".
Users can select facts to
add to a "clipboard",
from which the facts can
be downloaded and printed
in Portable Document Format
(PDF) or emailed to another
person. All facts are accompanied
by sources so users can verify
accuracy. Most sources are
hyperlinked, allowing users
to directly locate the source
document. Facts are updated
on a regular basis, making
information current and relevant.
The Tobacco Fact Clipboard
is a great resource for people
of all levels of expertise
in tobacco and health-related
fields, especially activists,
youth, and those new to tobacco
control. Located on the web
at www.americanlegacy.org/factclipboard.
Smoking in the Movies
Today, about 2,050 adolescents
will start smoking in the
US. More than half will start
because of exposure to smoking
in movies. Tobacco appears
in 80% of the movies rated
PG-13 - movies targeted directly
at young people. The more
a favorite star smokes in
movies, the more likely that
a teen viewer will smoke.
Leading actors light up in
60% of movies. When tobacco
is shown in a movie, leading
actors smoke in 82% of them.
To learn more about smoking
in the movies, check out www.scenesmoking.org
A great source of facts,
action items, and behind-the-scenes
information about the movies!
Tobacco "Watchdogs" Wanted
If you will be ages 16 or 17 in 2005, you can help sniff out illegal tobacco sales to minors in a special Watchdog program conducted by the American Lung Association. A great way to spiff up your college or job applications and earn community service credits at school! Plus you can receive free food and music gift certificates.
Requirements: attend a training session, visit stores where tobacco is sold (with a trained adult volunteer), follow the steps to see if the merchant sells you tobacco, and if tobacco is purchased then give it to the adult team member. You can Apply to Participate Online or call 619-297-3901.
Check out the California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN), striving to mobilize a powerful statewide movement for tobacco control by providing young people and agencies that work with young people the tangible tools for action.
