a) Bie AP ret hts i re dats reAL deaL yN otel Oks tobAcco ba Mee IPE aUTy FACTS TMC yee smoke-free coast to coast . Fs te 7 a 3 7 a Ss : ? F a = = on % a" ao Ps Sid, os De athe Y Fe date het alle ad Introducing SGR 4 Kids The Surgeon General’s First Report for Kids.......... © Six Facts About Kids and Smoking ............ interview with the : Surgeon General.............. © The Real Deal About TOBACCO 2... cs ccscccccccceues When You Use Tobacco Your Money Goes Up in The Cigarette Ad Busters Kid Power: We Travel Coast to Coast Ten Things You Can Do to Make Your Worid Smoke-Free For additional copies of this magazine, call 1-800-CDC-1311. Melea Morris Los Angeles, California “I don’t think the _ smoking people should use Joe Camel because 7; he is a cartoon ©. \ character and might get kids to start smoking.” Welcome! For the first time in history, the U.S. Surgeon General — Dr. Joycelyn Elders — has written a report about smoking and kids. It’s called Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General. Since the report is all about kids, Dr. Elders thought you should have your own version — one that’s a little more personal than the report prepared by doctors and scientists. So welcome to SGR 4 KIDS, your smoke-free magazine. We call it “your” magazine because it’s not just written about kids, it’s for kids! To write this magazine, we talked to kids across the coun- try — from an Indian reservation in Colorado to a Boys and Girls Club in Miami, from a Los Angeles classroom to a Cleveland Little League park. We asked them: What do you and your friends think about smoking? What do you want to see in this magazine? We also sent young reporters on some expeditions of their own — including a trip to Washington, D.C., to interview the Surgeon General. You'll find their words and ideas in SGR 4 KIDS. Turn the page and read on. Aaron Siegel Harrison, New York “There should be more no-smoking sections in restaurants, stadiums and places like that.” Kelli Ward Chicago, Illinois “Instead of showing _—. —-~ beautiful models in ads, I would show a wrinkly oid person in really bad health. That’s more realistic.” * * Before we tell you more about Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General, we'll answer your first question — just who, or what, is a Surgeon General? Well, for starters, she is not a surgeon — and not a general. She is, however, one of our country’s leading spokespersons on health issues. All U.S. presidents get to pick their own Surgeon General. The current Surgeon General, Dr. Joycelyn Elders, was chosen by President Bill Clinton. One of the most important things Dr. Elders does is warn people about health dangers — like smoking. Surgeon Generals have been putting out reports on tobacco since Dr. Luther Terry released the first one in 1964. Since then there have been reports about nicotine, second- hand smoke and lots of other topics. But there has never been an entire report about kids and tobacco use — until now! This year, Dr. Elders is releasing the first SGR (Surgeon General’s Report) just about kids. It focuses on preventing about: kids and ‘smoking CURGCON CLHERAL’S FIT REDORT FOR DS tobacco use among kids aged 12 to 18. That’s the age when most people who smoke get started. Every day, in fact, another 3,000 young people begin smok- ing. That, says Dr. Elders, is simply not okay with her — and it’s not okay with any of the kids we talked to, either! “Smoking causes more death and disease than all other addic- tions combined,” she explains. . “And it has health consequences that start when you smoke your very first cigarette.” Juste> 5. =; because you're young doesn’t « - mean you're a wonderkid — smoking will hurt you sooner than you think. LE @ That’s why the Surgeon General, and the government's Office on Smoking and Health, take the issue of kids and smok- ing so seriously. Nearly 100 scientists worked for almost two years on the SGR about young people. And they went straight to the source. “Even though this report was written by adults, it was kids who really told us what’s going on,” says Chery] Perry, senior scientific editor for the SGR. “The researchers talked to thousands of kids for this project.” We've got a lot of ground to cover! But first, let’s follow some of our kid reporters to Washington, D.C., to meet the Surgeon General. The SGR contains six major conclusions about kids and smoking: Most people start using tobacco before they finish high school. This means that If you stay smoke-free In school, you will probably > never smoke. Most teens who smoke are addicted to nicotine. They want to quit smoking, but they can’t. When they try to quit, they experience nasty withdrawal symptoms — just like adults. Tobacco Is often the first drug used by kids who use alcohol and * {legal drugs like marijuana. Kids who start smoking are more likely to get lower grades In school. They tend to hang out with other kids who smoke. They may have a low self-image and they don’t know how to say no to tobacco. Cigarette advertisements are designed to make people think that smoking is cool and that everybody does it. These misleading ads appear to Increase kids’ risk of smoking. , Finally, here’s some good news! People working in their communities — kids who warn each other about the dangers of smoking, for example, | and programs that make It harder for stores to sell cigarettes to kids — are helping to keep kids away from tobacco. A ‘ y Dannie: What does the ay rs Surgeon General do? By I'm responsible for making sure that everybody in the nation has the best possible health. My job is to be an advocate for you — to , aos speak out about things that are in - _ your best interest. That includes rr making sure you don’t get involved in any behavior that can be damaging to your health, like an using drugs or drinking or ay smoking. Eric: What kind of doctor are you? I'm a pediatric endocrinologist. That means I specialize in taking care of children who have special problems related to their glands. Tramaine: Why did you decide to do this report for kids? One of her former co-workers called her a “street fighter.” Dr. Joycelyn Elders, our new Surgeon I just felt that kids are the most General, believes in fighting for the health of kids. important thing we've got in this Here she takes time out from her busy schedule country. Nothing, is more to talk to our kid reporters — Sonia important than you. And I don’t , ; want you to get lung cancer or start Tarantolo, 11, from Washington, D.C.; Eric using other kinds of drugs — you Rocks, 13, and Dannie Rocks, 10, from know, kids who smoke are much Cleveland;.and Tramaine Ford, 10, from more likely to drink or use drugs. Chicago — about her job, her life, kids, So if we can keep bright young, and smoking. people like you from ever smoking, we hope we can keep you from getting into trouble in other ways. Since you are going to take good care of me when I get to be and old lady, it’s important to me to make sure that you stay healthy. Sonia: If cigarettes are so bad for you, why are they still legal? When I see all the terrible problems smoking causes, I ask myself that same question. When cigarettes were first being used, we didn’t know they could cause cancer. Before long, smoking became a part of our culture. Now millions of people are addicted to cigarettes. I’m sure that if cigarettes were introduced today, with all that we know about them, we would never allow them to be sold. Dannie: Why are your warnings on cigarette packs so small? We're trying to change that, to make sure that our health warnings are glaring and standing out in front. At first the cigarette companies wanted to make those labels as small as they could. They wanted you to have to use a magnifying glass to see them! But now Congress is consider- ing some new laws that say the labels have to be large and clear enough that you can readily see them. Sonia: Why are cigarette ads allowed in magazines and on billboards if they’re not allowed on TV? I think cigarette ads should not be allowed in magazines and on billboards. You should not be able to advertise something that we know is dangerous — especially to our children. And yet we have 3,000 young people like yourselves who start smok- ing every day. Eric: What do you think about Joe Camel ads? I think that when as many of our 6-year-olds know Joe Camel as know Mickey Mouse, that says we've got a problem! The tobacco industry spends millions and millions of dollars on advertising that is seen by young people. I’m opposed to that. We have to use the mass media — TV, radio, maga- zines — to start advertising positive messages to kids. Sonia: What else do you plan to do as Surgeon General to keep kids from smoking? I want to start teaching kids about the dangers of smoking very early in school — as early as kindergarten. If we do that, and have you well informed, I know that you will make good decisions. You know, if you haven’t started smoking by the time you're 19 years old, you will probably never smoke. So if I can keep you from smok- ing until then, I’ve got a chance to keep you from ever smoking. Tramaine: What’s your advice to kids whose friends are pressuring them to smoke? My advice is to tell them, “Listen, I don’t want that cancer stick. I don’t plan to die of lung cancer. I don’t have to smoke to feel good about myself. And I don’t think that you should either. Because I don’t want to take care of you when you get old and sick.” Tramaine: Do you like your job? Yes, I like my job very much. I like to feel that ’'m doing something that’s going to make a difference for young people. And if I can do something that will make a difference, and I live to be an old lady sitting on my porch rocking, I can look out there and say, “I did that,” or “I influenced that person.” I can really feel good. THE DEAL DEAL AD OUT The Surgeon General says that 3,000 kids start smoking every day. They must not know the facts about tobacco — if they did, they’d stay miles away from the stuff! So let’s cut through the smoke and get to the real deal about tobacco. Most kids my age smoke... don't they? The Real Deal It might look that way, because tobacco com- panies pay lots of money to fill magazines and billboards with pictures of people smoking. But according to the Surgeon General, only 13 percent of (or 13 out of 100) adolescents have smoked in the last 30 days. And only 8 percent are “fre- quent” smokers. That means most kids — 87 percent, to be exact — are smart enough not to smoke. We don’t need to worry — smoking won't affect our health until we’re a lot older... right? The Real Deal You already know that smoking can cause things like cancer and heart dis- ease, but the report also lists symptoms that start to develop as soon as you smoke your first cigarette — no matter how young you are. These include shortness of breath, coughing, nausea, dizziness, and “phlegm production.” Pretty gross, huh? But if you only smoke a little bit, that can’t hurt... can it? The Real Deal According to Dr. Elders, symptoms like wheezing and coughing have been found in kids who smoke just one cigarette a week. Well, at least tobacco use doesn’t lead to other drug use... does it? The Real Deal It doesn’t always, but it certainly can. Many times tobacco is the first drug used by kids who use alcohol and illegal drugs. The SGR says that, compared with non-smokers, kids who smoke are 3 times more likely to use alcohol. They’re 8 times more likely to smoke Marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine. Scary, huh? Kids who smoke think they’re cool... are they? The Real Deal Only if by “cool” you mean kids who probably aren’t doing very well in school. The SGR found that students with the highest grades are less likely to smoke than those with the lowest grades. The same is true for smokeless tobacco — daily tobacco use is highest among drop-outs, lowest among college students. Kids who smoke have lower self- images. They look to smoking because they think it will give them a better image — cooler, maybe, or more attractive, or more popular. And because their self-image is low, they don’t have the confidence to say no when someone wants them to use tobacco. Well, if smoking is so bad, all you have to do Is quit. How hard can that be? The Real Deal Most teens who smoke want to stop. Nearly half of the high school seniors in the survey said they'd like to quit smoking. But they can’t because, accord- ing to the SGR, “most young people who smoke daily are addicted to nicotine.” In the same survey, about 40 percent said they tried to quit and couldn't. So maybe we’re better off if we never start smoking. Now There’s the Uftimate Real Deal Quitting is nota pretty sight, because nicotine is as addictive as alcohol, heroin, or cocaine. According to the SGR, when people quit they might experience “frustration, anger, anxiety, difficulty concen- trating, restlessness, and decreased heart rate.” The Surgeon General found that most smokers start before they finish high school. So if you make it to graduation day without starting to smoke, chances are you never will! It’s true that many people think smokeless tobacco (also known as Pai a diy Mae) hee tre et rece eM eer PAP -F-1a-9 5 tee quoted in the SGR said that 77 percent of kids thought cigarette smoking was very harmful, but only 40 percent thought smokeless tobacco wre a Mrs ee Le wrong! The truth is that smokeless tobacco use is connected with all sorts rem ee Ce Smokeless tobacco can cause bleeding gums, and sores of the mouth that never heal. Eventually you might end up with cancer. Tobacco Poe ce) serene aL) nicotine, and nicotine is addictive! it stains eC color. It gives you bad breath. It can make you Peete msl oe ee UEC em eo (Definitely NOT cool!) aTaF LRA icc LLL a chew on — according to the Tc) ae Rh eeu tt Pye eee emule mck yea Se 8 Cea That’s a double whammy ETM eM TULUM es hate survive! So spit it out; say no to smokeless tobacco. dont show the air filled with grossagmelling cigarette smoke.” One of the models ‘settings, and they never show, ‘ssmoke. They don’t . give you a clue about how gross a burning cigarette smells! Daniel: “Camel cigarettes uses Joe Camel, a cartoon character, to catch kids. Kids like cartoons more than adults do.” Tana: ‘If the cigarette companies an get kids hooked on a brand, then they just might buy that . Reality Check: The youth mar- _ket is very important to the big . tobacco companies, because young smokers are needed to replace older smokers who quit or die. Kids like humor, and kids like cartoons —- and Camel ads use both. According to the SGR, most kids pick Camel ads as their favorite ads for. aaa > Old Joe Camel, the cartoon symbol for Came! cigarettes, has been around since 1988. Many people think that Camel uses a cartoon to get kids to smoke. They want the ads banned. But R.J. Reynolds, the maker of Camel cigarettes, says it doesn’t believe “for a minute” that Old Joe encourages kids to smoke. You be the judge: > In the first 4 years that Camel ads featured Joe, smokers under 18 who preferred Camels rose from less than 1 percent to as much as 30 percent of the market. : 1b Sales of Camel cigarettes to kids 12 to 19 years old have risen from $6 million in 1988 to $476 million in 1991 — that’s equal to 262 million packs of cigarettes. > Joe Camel is as familiar to 6 year-old kids as Mickey Mouse! > R.J. Reynolds spends an estimated $22 million a year on Camel ads. HUNTINGTON pARL SANTA FE NEW MEXICO MARMATH NORTH DAKOTA it’s amazing what kid power What can Just two kids do? CALIFORNIA — and a little peanut butter Plenty, it turns out, when the and jelly — can accomplish! tw@re Justin Fischer and * Angie Yocupicio broke the law Last year, 350 students vs — lucky for her she packed the New Mexico was working with the state capitol to talk to their police department lawmakers about passing a when she did It! law that would make It ille- Angie was part of gal to sell tobacco to kids | to prove how . easily kids can buy cigarettes. - She walked into | a store and | boldly asked | for a pack — > or a carton! a “sting operation” ; ™ ‘Even though she | was 515 at the time, “I was | turned down,” she says. under 18. They even brought the lawmakers p.b.&j. sand- wiches to lunch on! A month _ later, the law passed. Eric Sonsallal The only students in their grade (the whole school has only 32 students), they wanted to sold it to me gladly.” make their school smoke- The health agency that free. Eric, age 11, admits sponsored the sting hopes he was “pretty nervous” stores will get the message and obey the law. Today, all 50 states and Washingtoa, D.C., prohibit stores from | We jean selling tobacco to kids under 18. “ when they shared this Idea with the school board. But the board agreed that smoking stinks — and " nobody can smoke at. _~ Marmath Public School. © “H was a really fun expert nce,” Eric says. ~ a, el, Ko Kids everywhere are banding © together to stamp out tobacco. DELVIDERE ILLINOIS Students at the Perry Elementary School think magazines read by kids should not print tobacco ads. So they picked some maga zines — including Sports Hlustrated and Hot Rod — from the school library and wrote letters to the editors, asking them to stop running these ads. When the editors didn’t write back, the library @ canceled the subscriptions. U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1994- 535-968 PERTH AMROY NEW JERSEY “Sometimes adults kids don’t know what they re talking about,” says George Vega, 17. But George can tell grownups a thing or two about tobacco advertising — and he did! His group, HORA (Hispanics On the Rise Again), took a survey of cigarette billboards in his hometown. They found there were more signs in Hispanic neighborhoods than anyplace else. “They put bill- boards by churches and schools and in parks where kids play,” he complains. HORA Is talking to the city council about dumping the signs. “We want to remove tobacco billboards,” says George, “and replace them with ones for milk or vegeta- bles — something healthy and positive for kids.” “Read my lips — don’ smoket” With TV and newspep reporters looking on, Sean Donahue heard his state capitol. The wagons: with petitjons asking the 8 of State to raise the state tobacco» tax by 25 cents. (According to the General, o et er a WO should look like. Oo ould be ON eewiror Strike three, and eo of heath | smoking’s out! or cafeteria. nent As we've S080, Block that slot! Kids who at risks. cigarette = _ too young to buy cigarettes A lmreie STATE “gg eae 2 companies ©: show that smoking and sports dont mix hy writing a letter ae: to the owners of your local sports teams, asking them to make =: Fthe stadium free of tobacco ads. y pro teams are already taking action — like the Baltimore “ Orioles, Colorado Rockies, Seattle ~ American Cancer Society ” 1-800-227-2345 Seahawks, Houston Rockets, and 1-800-A 4 Minnesota Vikings. These teams per — the more that people ( CS-2345) don’t allow any tobacco advertis- know abe! the dangers For more copies of this ing in their stadiums. = (All , magazine, gand H ont . on ing t Butt out! Write a letter to your , 1-800-232-1311 | favorite restaurant, asking them. to go completely smoke-free. , (Having a Te non-smoking: _ (2-800-CDC-1311) ORID y half of as sai ae keep smoke‘fit fia Tell them nee when the air in their restaurant is clean, their food will taste better — and that you'll come back and bring your friends! & hey