A Different View of the New Anti-Tobacco Campaign

ALBANY, NY (02/10/2011)(readMedia)-- New York convenience store owners expressed dismay at the new taxpayer-funded media campaign announced today by the Community Partnerships for a Tobacco Free New York bemoaning tobacco displays and signage in licensed outlets.

"Sorry to spoil their conspiracy theory, but displaying cigarettes on the wall behind our counter doesn't compel kids to smoke any more than displaying toothpaste on our shelves compels them to brush their teeth," said James Calvin, President of the New York Association of Convenience Stores.

In their press release, the Community Partnerships for a Tobacco Free New York lamented, "It is not an accident that tobacco products are displayed in the most prominent location in stores...88% of stores statewide display tobacco products directly behind the counter."

"That's correct," Calvin said, "because these same anti-tobacco crusaders lobbied for and passed a State law in 2002 requiring us to display tobacco behind the counter. Where do they want us to put it now – on the ceiling?"

While the release said the Community Partnerships were funded by the New York Tobacco Control Program, it failed to disclose that that program is publicly funded. "In other words, at a time when our State is in a $10 billion hole and hemorrhaging jobs, these folks are spending your tax dollars to badger retail businesses for displaying, inside their own privately owned premises, in accordance with state law, legal products they are licensed by the State to offer for sale to adult customers," Calvin said.

"Most convenience store operators are responsible business people," he continued. "As parents and citizens, they share the community's commitment to preventing youth access tobacco. Through training, stringent policies and ID procedures, and supervision, they have helped dramatically reduce the incidence of underage sales in New York State over the past 10 years, as the state Health Department will attest."

"We appreciate the work the public health community has done to reduce tobacco consumption over the years. But the virtue of that cause does not entitle them to spend your money publicly harassing responsible neighborhood retailers," said Calvin.