Programs - Reality Check

Megan Davis - Reality Check

"Reality Check" is a statewide youth sponsored initiative. The goal of this program is for teenagers (ages 13-18) to educate other teens about the marketing techniques of big tobacco companies. "Reality Check" wants to alert teens of these techniques and how the tobacco companies view the teenage public. For more information call the number above.

OUR CURRENT PROJECT

Hollywood Pushes Smoking On Teens

We are using a statewide youth led movement exposing the deceptive marketing tactics used by the tobacco industry to target teens. Our group consists of youth between the ages of 13 and 18 who are empowered to educate their peers about the tobacco industry's use of print media, sporting events, promotional activities, and even Hollywood to push their product. Our goal is to de-glamorize tobacco use because the tobacco industry wants everyone to believe that smoking is socially acceptable and simply the normal thing to do. One point to be clear is the fact that we are not antismoker, we are anti tobacco industry. Reality Check exists purely because recent reports show that the tobacco industry spends over $300 per second marketing its products to teens, that's over $1 million per hour. Countering the perception that tobacco use is cool and sophisticated is now more important than ever

WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THIS?

Aside from our support of the Clean Indoor Air Law, our actions have been focused upon the issues surrounding smoking in the movies. Our current statewide initiative is Hollywood and Tobacco: Reality Check Strikes Again. The primary goal of this initiative is to alert young people, community leaders, and the entertainment industry to the real impact of tobacco promotion in G, PG, and PG-13 rated movies. We plan to decrease the social acceptability of tobacco use and the illegal tobacco product placement in movies that are viewed by teenagers. We are also mobilizing tobacco control programs in other states and countries to oppose tobacco promotion in youth appealing films. There are many aspects of our new initiative that our going to help us reach our goal. In December and January we distributed our first issue of Tape Talk. This was a publication filled with movie reviews and facts regarding the relationship between the tobacco industry and Hollywood We also contacted video stores throughout Cattaraugus County to raise awareness of the relationship between tobacco and Hollywood by requesting and ultimately suggesting a number of smoke-free movies.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Easy! To take action, you can start by talking with others about Hollywood's practice of pushing smoking on teens. Using the enclosed materials, you and your class can write a letter to the editor of your local paper(s). You can also write letters to the Motion Picture Association of America and the Director's Guild of America. You can help us contact four targeted Hollywood stars and let them know that smoking in movies must be stopped The contact names and addresses are enclosed. To find out how you can get youth involved with the Reality Check Youth Action Movement you can visit the state website at www.realitycheckny.com or you can contact the Youth Action County Coordinator, Megan Davis at rc@sthcs.org or call 372-0614.

Visit the Reality Check website at: www.realitycheckny.com