Every time I need to fill my vehicle up we pull into these advertisement signs. When my son was younger, he used to ask all sorts of questions about the different cigarette ads displayed. I never realized just how much companies purposely placed their signage to entice even the youngest of kids. Curiosity is what opened up our communication about Smoking. My son is very receptive to these types of adult talks as he gets older. It can be hard at times to say “no” without explaining “why” but as parent we really need to be diligent in encouraging good behaviors! I want my son to make the right choices but also feel comfortable coming to me if he is struggling with things. Peer pressure is a serious motivator to young kids.
This post was sponsored by Tobacco Free New York State as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
The more kids see tobacco, the more likely they are to start smoking. It’s really like putting a “DO NOT TOUCH” sign on something. The more you see it the more you want to experience it. We need to have a conversation, several in fact, to get kids thinking why they shouldn’t start smoking. As a mom, my goal is to keep my son safe and healthy. Instead of shaming him about smoking, I want to have an open conversation. He needs to explore his opinions as to why smoking isn’t for him personally! I want him to realize why smoking would limit his lifestyle. Why smoking could limit his dreams of becoming a hockey player. Why smoking could end up giving him medical conditions down the road that could be life threatening. Every bad action has a negative consequence after all!
Did you know the average age of a new smoker in New York State is 13 years old? From 2014-2018 e-cigarette use grew 160% among high school students. Our kids have seen enough! It’s time to take action and protect kids from being exposed to tobacco products in stores. Signing the , “Seen Enough Tobacco Ads” pledge is how we will take back what our kids see. No more signs, no more cigarette commercials during Paw Patrol or Peppa Pig!
Young people are almost twice as likely as adults to recall tobacco advertising, and it makes them more likely to smoke. In-store advertising near schools and in low-income neighborhoods is particularly effective. The bottom line is, tobacco marketing is literally in the face of those most vulnerable to it.
If you agree that our kids have seen enough, it’s time to take action and stand up to Big Tobacco by pledging your support. Together, we can make New York a healthier place to live, work and play. Over 25,000 community members have pledged their support to get tobacco out of sight in stores!
Join them by signing the pledge today at Tobacco Free New York!!
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Have you talked to your kids about NOT smoking??
What advice can you give to other parents??
I really hate seeing tobacco ads. It's so horrible. Even when they aren't glamorous, the kids still see them.
I hate seeing all these ads and I have talked to my kids about the dangers of smoking. They have seen how the smoke from forest fires have affected me and how I cough around people who smoke so I am hoping that that will keep them from smoking.
I hate tobacco! It sucks that around here they are pushing marijuana so much too. I just wish money went to other areas.
I honestly wondered the other day who actually smokes or wants to start smoking. It just seems so obvious to not start.
I agree that tobacco ads tend to make it look cool or fun. They gear their ads, even movies do to make it look glamorous when we know it isn't. Thank you for a great post.
Same as others, I hate seeing tobacco ads and even seeing other people enjoying of using it without knowing the bad effect of it with their health, with other people and with the environment.
Tacco ads are everywhere! I am so agree that it's so important to talk about them with our kids!
Dislike all those tobacco ads. Can't wait for the day to see them gone.
Gosh, it's incredible! Yes, we need to talk to our children about smoking, though we see less and less of it these days. But family conversations are a HUGE plus to counteract the advertising.