Quoted Text

NISKAYUNA ASKS MERCHANTS TO LIMIT SMOKING ADS

Posted on: 02/25/09
Jackie Sher
email: news@spotlightnews.com

Students and residents urged the Niskayuna Town Board on Tuesday, Feb. 23, to pass a resolution requesting retail merchants in the town “reduce, rearrange or eliminate tobacco advertising in retail stores.”  The resolution was passed unanimously.

“We’re asking them retailers to be aware of the use of tobacco ads and to try to put those things out of kids’ line of vision, and to try not to display advertisements outside of their stores,” said Town Board Member Julie McDonnell.

She said that while this isn’t something town officials can legally require, they’re asking retailers to support their initiative.

“We want to promote healthy lifestyles in Niskayuna,” said McDonnell.

Jeanie Orr, a project coordinator with the Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition and a resident of Niskayuna, said her group approached the town about the advertising issue following the success of a smoke-free parks initiative passed in June.

“What we’re trying to do at the coalition is do a coordinated effort in each community we’re responsible for,” said Orr.

She said the Tobacco-Free Coalition is trying to hit a lot of sides at once rather than making one improvement at a time.  They have the philosophy that people don’t notice when little things are done here and there, but that they will notice a big change.

“I know they’ve also passed a smoke-free movies resolution that was brought up by the AMA Alliance, which is sort of the pro-bono arm of the American Medical Association,” said Orr.

The resolution is to encourage the movie industry to make any movie where smoking is prominent have a rating of at least PG-13.

“All these different things have had a converging in Niskayuna and because they were so proactive with the parks resolution, we thought Niskayuna would be a great community to start out with,” said Orr, of the beginning of the initiative they’re calling Tobacco Free Communities.

The Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition is also working with Reality Check, which is a state-based organization that was created by teens to expose the tobacco industry and the tactics they use to get teens to smoke.

They’ve been going into schools to help them come up with more comprehensive smoking policies.  According to Orr, while schools don’t allow tobacco use on grounds, many of them don’t “really have a comprehensive plan to deal with all of that,” said Orr.

At Hillside School in Niskayuna, for example, the Tobacco-Free Coalition and Reality Check met with the PTO and had them sign a resolution saying that they would take all tobacco ads out of periodicals that go into school libraries.

Orr said they’ve also gotten many sports organizations within the schools to sign agreements saying that they won’t accept funds or goods from tobacco companies.

According to information provided by the Capital District Smoke-Free Coalition, 50.4 percent of Schenectady County adults think tobacco advertising in stores should not be allowed on the outside of the store building, and more than 70 percent think tobacco advertising should not be allowed on the outside of any stores or gas stations within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds or daycare facilities.

“Number one, I’m a non-smoker and I’m thrilled that we have all these regulations, and number two, I was proud to see young people taking a stand,” said Niskayuna Town Board Member Liz Orzel Kasper of the response to the resolution.

McDonnell, who is also head of Parks and Recreation, said she is pleased with the work that has been done in the community to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking.    

“We’ve worked with Jeanie Orr upon a number of initiatives,” said McDonnell.
She discussed the resolution they passed banning smoking in parks.

“We’re really proud of that because it’s a place where kids recreate.  It’s not a place where people should be smoking,” said McDonnell.