Youth-Created "Tobacco and
Hollywood" Ad Unveiled
For
Immediate Release: May 5, 2008
Contact: Barbara Brashear (714) 834-3232
(Santa Ana) - To help youth make informed
decisions and to counter the influence that smoking in movies
has on youth, the County of Orange Health Care Agency’s Tobacco
Use Prevention Program (TUPP) is joining with community leaders,
educators and students in the City of Buena Park for a May 8th
special event to unveil a youth-created “Tobacco and Hollywood”
poster.
The unveiling of the artwork by Faith Dela
Cruz, a student and young artist from Buena Park High School,
will be held May 8 at 10:30 a.m. at a bus shelter on the corner
of Knott Ave. and Orangethorpe Ave. Faith’s cartoon was chosen
from more than 100 entries as one of the best cartoons educating
the public about the impact that smoking in movies has on youth.
The “Tobacco and Hollywood” project offers youth ages 11-17 the
opportunity to make a positive impact in the community through
the development of their artwork.
Smoking in movies has been shown in research
studies to increase the likelihood that youth will start
smoking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
has repeatedly cited exposure to tobacco use in media as a major
factor in youth smoking. Youth who see smoking on television and
other media are more likely to start smoking than youth who are
not exposed to smoking in media. Each year an estimated 390,000
teens start smoking because of exposure to smoking in movies and
120,000 will die prematurely as a result, according to a
national study published in the journal Pediatrics. The mission
of the Tobacco Use Prevention Program (TUPP) is to reduce
tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke in Orange County by
collaborating with community organizations, public agencies and
committed individuals. TUPP offers youth and adults tobacco
education as well as free smoking cessation and prevention
programs. Information about cessation services for adults and
teens is available by calling (866) NEW-LUNG or (866) 639-5864.
More information about TUPP can be found on the Internet at
ochealthinfo.com/tupp
or by calling (714) 541-1444.
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