FDA launches “Real Cost” campaign

LGBT community ranks highest in smokers

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cigarette smoking among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in the United States is much higher than among the total population. This is in part due to the aggressive marketing of tobacco products to this community.

And the cost of smoking isn’t just financial. The CDC reports that LGBT individuals are also likely to have risk factors for smoking that include daily stress related to prejudice and stigma that they may face. In 2009–2010, the prevalence of current cigarette smoking among LGBT individuals was 32.8%, compared with 19.5% among heterosexual individuals.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced their first national campaign to educate and prevent youth ages 12 to 17 from using tobacco.

The “Real Cost” campaign targets adolescents who are at risk of becoming regular smokers, as internal tobacco industry documents show the specific interest companies have in gaining youth as customers. The campaign will also focus on specific groups that the tobacco industry has targeted over the years such as African-Americans, Native-Americans, Hispanic and Latino- Americans, youth living in rural communities, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth. Campaign ads will depict how tobacco use comes at a cost that is not just financial.

Brittney Hodges, Youth Tobacco Control Coordinator for the Oklahoma City-County Health Department says, “We are excited to begin using these materials with teens and hope it makes an impact.”  Campaigns began nationwide on television last month on stations such as MTV, and on radio, online, and billboards.

“The campaign’s emphasis on short-term effects of tobacco use such as wrinkling skin and yellowing teeth is a message we hope will impact our youth to stay tobacco free,” says Phrak Saynyarak, a member of the Oklahoma County Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition. Phrak also says “youth tobacco users often have difficulty responding to messages that focus on long-term effects such as cancer and heart disease. That’s why the Coalition focuses on the SWAT program. Of adult smokers, nearly 90% used their first cigarette before age 18 and the tobacco industry is always looking for replacement smokers. The FDA’s commitment to a youth focused campaign is crucial to help teens stay tobacco-free into adulthood.”

The Oklahoma County Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition encourages youth, parents, and educators to visit the campaign website at www.therealcost.com. Ads will launch on stations such as MTV and in print in teen magazines.

Please call 405-419-4247 or email tobacco@occhd.org to find out more about the Oklahoma County Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition.

Staff Report

For information on smoking and the LGBT community, visit the CDC website at www.tinyurl.com/m86sn2j

The Gayly – March 13, 2014 @ 10:45am