This post was sponsored by Tobacco Free New York State as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.
As a teacher I see first-hand children that come to school from a home where parents smoke. They often have asthma; allergies and their clothing always smell from second hand smoke. It is so sad because they honestly do not know any better.
I am firmly behind the Tobacco Free New York State – “Seen Enough Tobacco” campaign. Children should not be exposed to tobacco products or advertisements at such a young age. We talk to our children about the dangers of smoking and what it can do to your health. We had our first conversation after leaving a hotel in New York City and there was a large group gathered by the front door. My daughter wanted to know what they were doing and why it smelled so bad. She probably was only 3 at the time. We tried to explain that tobacco use is dangerous and not something that you ever want to try.
Our oldest will be leaving for college next year and we have really tried to to tell him not to smoke or use tobacco. Peer pressure is a strong pull and I hope that we have educated him enough in the dangers of using tobacco. A few scary photos of what can happen to your mouth, neck and lungs due to the use of tobacco I believe has deterred him from ever using tobacco products.
Do you know that the average age of a new smoker in
New York state is 13 years old?
“Seen Enough Tobacco”
Yes, you have read the correctly. It is so sad to think that tobacco companies are spending billions of dollars to put their products in front of our children. But there is something that we can do. Take the “Seen Enough Tobacco” pledge today to make New York a healthier place to live, work and play.
I know that I want my children to see all the beautiful things that New York State has to offer from the beaches, rivers, and mountains to the beautiful historical sites. Nothing ruins the beauty of our parks and fields than them being littered with cigarette butts. We are blessed to live in the middle of the Pocono Mountains and have many beautiful areas for the children to play tobacco-free.
It makes me sad to see that children are exposed to tobacco at such a young age. We talk to our children that even though the advertisements may make it seem like it is a cool thing to do, it is not healthy for you. It can have very bad adverse conditions to your health. As a family we try to limit their exposure to advertisements and displays. Do you part and sign the New York State “Seen Enough Tobacco” petition today.