MAY 23 – A ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is the focus of the 2013 World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on May 31st. For the first time, several communities in Northern Michigan will greet this annual event with new 24/7 tobacco-free policies in their schools and parks. What's more, Substance Abuse-Free Environment ("SAFE") Youth of Charlevoix and Emmet Counties recently partnered with Susan Pulaski of the Health Department of Northwest Michigan to produce a YouTube video – "Kick Butts 2013" – to warn teens and parents about tobacco marketing aimed at young people. A link to the video can be found on the Health Department's website, www.nwhealth.org.
"I'm proud of our local students and community leaders for taking this issue seriously," said Pulaski, Health Coordinator for the Health Department of Northwest Michigan. "They have partnered with our Tobacco Reduction Coalition in efforts to make sure schools, parks and communities are free of harmful tobacco use. We have much to show for this year's No Tobacco Day."
The international WNTD movement was initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1987. During 2010 alone, the tobacco industry spent nearly $8.5 billion to market its products in the United States, and more than $250 million of that was spent in Michigan.
Pulaski, who coordinates the Tobacco Reduction Coalition of Antrim, Charlevoix, Otsego and Emmet Counties, said the Coalition has received grants to install Tobacco-Free signs on all public campuses in the four-county area.
The Health Department of Northwest Michigan is mandated by the Michigan Public Health Code to promote wellness, prevent disease, provide quality healthcare, address health problems of vulnerable populations, and protect the environment for the residents and visitors of Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Otsego counties. For more information about the Tobacco Reduction Coalition and 24/7 Tobacco-Free School policies, contact Susan Pulaski at (231) 347-5813. For free help in quitting tobacco, contact Michigan Tobacco Quitline at (800) 784-8669 or (800) QUIT-NOW. For more information about World No Tobacco Day, visit http://www.who.int/tobacco/wntd/en/.