‘Keep tobacco ads away from kids’



ALBANY COUNTY — In a unanimous decision, the Albany County Legislature last week passed a resolution asking businesses to reduce, re-arrange, or eliminate their tobacco advertising.
Introduced by Alexander "Sandy" Gordon, a Democrat who represents the Helderberg Hilltowns of Knox, Berne, and Rensselaerville, the law encourages businesses to reduce their tobacco advertising and stop placing tobacco advertisements where they are clearly visible to children — on wall space under five feet, near candy displays, and on counter tops.
"The goal is for getting the advertising out of the face of children — at eye level for very young children — and making the opportunity for the children to have a decision about tobacco on their own without undue influences at an early age," said Gordon.
"No question, you know that I have a personal history with tobacco and lung cancer, and any effort that we can do that is positive in stopping the youth of our country from starting smoking is a well-directed effort," he said.

Gordon’s wife, Mary Ellen, died last September after being diagnosed four years earlier with lung cancer.

The resolution, which includes national statistics and results of a survey conducted by the Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition, will be sent to tobacco vendors throughout Albany County. There are 357 retail vendors in Albany County and 23 vending machines.
"I think it’s a wonderful, wonderful first step," said Judy Rightmyer, program director of the Capital District tobacco-free coalition.
"We know — the research has shown — that tobacco ads really target the young people," she said, adding that tobacco ads "make it look socially acceptable."

Rightmyer said she hopes Schenectady and Rensselaer counties also pass resolutions.

For the past four years, the coalition has commissioned Syracuse University to conduct a telephone survey of residents in Albany, Schenectady, and Rensselaer counties. Rightmyer said 350 people in each county participated in the most recent survey, conducted from June 28 to July 6 of last year.

The county’s resolution references the survey.

Results showed 67 percent of Albany County residents have noticed cigarette or tobacco products being advertised or promoted in shop windows or inside shops where tobacco is sold. A majority did not want tobacco advertisements on the outside of buildings. Nearly 71 percent of the county’s residents do not want tobacco advertisements on the exterior of stores within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds, or daycare facilities.

About 62 percent of those who were surveyed thought tobacco ads and signs should be voluntarily removed from within grocery stores.
"This is an issue of the heart for me, and if we can help to break the cycle of tobacco addiction — it surely is evident that the people in the tobacco industry are putting profits ahead of people," said Gordon. "And I think we need to eliminate that and maybe that will start to break some of the investment cycles that people have as well, that include some of the larger tobacco interests."