Lung Association and POW'R Against Tobacco Commemorate World No Tobacco Day

WHITE PLAINS, NY (05/30/2012)(readMedia)-- The American Lung Association of the Northeast and POW'R Against Tobacco are joining the World Health Organization (WHO) to observe World No Tobacco Day on Thursday, May 31. This year's theme is Tobacco Industry Interference and focuses on the need to expose and counter the industry's brazen and increasingly aggressive attempts to undermine global tobacco control efforts.

"What we're seeing in New York and elsewhere in the country is point of sale product display marketing that is cleverly designed to appeal to children," said Jeff Seyler, President and CEO of the American Lung Association of the Northeast. "On World No Tobacco Day, we want to draw attention to the fact when these tobacco displays are placed prominently at checkout counters next to candy and gum it encourages kids to smoke. This is wrong; we know that the more tobacco marketing our kids see, the more likely they are to smoke."

Every hour of every day, the tobacco industry spends $1 million on marketing. Meanwhile, states, including New York, are failing to adequately invest in proven policies and programs to counteract this rampant tobacco marketing. This has resulted in 3 million new youth and young adult smokers, a third of whom will ultimately die from their addiction. More than 25,000 New Yorkers die each year as a result of smoking.

"The Family Smoking and Prevention Tobacco Control Act signed into law in 2009 by our president opens the door wide for municipalities to do more to regulate tobacco industry marketing to our youth." said Maureen Kenney, director of POW'R Against Tobacco. "The Village of Haverstraw in Rockland County recently passed a law that will keep tobacco products out of the sight of children as they approach a register at a retail store. We would love to see other municipalities follow their lead and enact similar laws."

The American Lung Association of the Northeast envisions a world free of lung disease and helping people quit smoking and encouraging kids to never start is vital to seeing that vision become a reality.

To learn more about the Lung Association's programs to help adults quit smoking, visit Freedom From Smoking Online at ffsonline.org. The American Lung Association also has a free Lung Helpline staffed by trained cessation counselors at 1.800.LUNGUSA (1.800.586.4872). To learn more about the Association's Not-On-Tobacco® (N-O-T) program , specifically designed for smokers aged 14 to 19 who want to quit, visit notontobacco.com

Concerned residents can also join the Lung Association by advocating for stronger tobacco control policies. To join the Lung Association in advocating for strong tobacco control policies at the federal, state and local level, sign up to become an e-advocate at LungNE.org. To learn more about POW'R Against Tobacco visit POWRAgainstTobacco.org

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About the American Lung Association of the Northeast

The American Lung Association of the Northeast is part of the American Lung Association, the oldest voluntary health organization in the U.S. Established in 1904 to combat tuberculosis; our mission today is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. The focus is on air quality, asthma, tobacco control, and all lung disease. The American Lung Association of the Northeast serves CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI and VT. www.lungNE.org

About POW'R Against Tobacco

POW'R Against Tobacco serving Putnam, Orange, Westchester and Rockland Counties is a Community Partnership of the New York State Tobacco Control Program funded through a grant to the American Lung Association of the Northeast. The coalition's goals are to promote cessation from tobacco use, decrease the social acceptability of tobacco use, prevent the initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults and eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke. To learn more about POW'R Against Tobacco visit www.POWRAgainstTobacco.org