| ITAT VISITS THE CAPITOL On February 15th, close to sixty Granger, West Lake, Bingham, and Provo ITAT youth visited the state capitol to advocate that Utah Legislators raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21 and enforce stricter regulations on flavored tobacco products. Students were able to meet with their local legislators and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. Provo ITAT with Attorney General Sean Reyes Bingham ITAT with Rep. Susan Pulsipher Rep. Craig Hall with Granger ITAT students. PACIFIC ISLANDER YOUTH: ONE OF THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY'S BIGGEST TARGETS Bingham ITAT President, Joy Kavapalu gave a wonderful speech at Capitol Day about how tobacco influences students of color. We made the news! Check out the Deseret News article feature here . Read her full speech below or click here to watch: As a member of Island Teens Against Tobacco, I alongside many other Pacific Islander Teens, am able to address and advocate against one of the leading causes for death in our community, tobacco use. Tobacco companies strategically target younger populations as well as those with less formal educational backgrounds. This is why many Pacific Islander teens are at the highest risk for tobacco addiction. In fact, the Utah Department of Health Census in 2015 found that the Pacific Islander community proportionately has one of the largest youth populations in the state. In addition to a younger demographic, in Utah, only 7% of Tongans and 9% of Samoans hold a bachelor’s degree, that is the lowest of any racial group in Utah. By combining a young population with scarce college graduation rates, this leaves the Pacific Islander community as one of the most vulnerable groups to the advertising attacks of many tobacco companies. While this may be shocking to many of us, the tobacco industry has known this for many years. They have used this knowledge as a stepping stone to manipulate young, minority consumers. The tobacco industry specifically targets these groups in their marketing because they want to recruit life-long consumers. In fact, retailers located in minority and low-income neighborhoods contain substantially more storefront advertising and offer more price promotions compared with retailers located in more affluent, non-minority neighborhoods. These retailers located in minority communities also tend to market cheaper cigarettes or provide more “buy-one, get-one” deals. These tactics infiltrate our community. Many of us have uncles, aunts, cousins and siblings who have used tobacco. We have seen lives destroyed by disease and death. We have seen futures filled with hope ripped apart by one single product. Tobacco has damaged so many of our lives and it's time we stand against big tobacco and support big change. This has grown beyond a household issue. It has festered into a community epidemic in which we must take an active stance against. Do not allow tobacco companies to continually get away with targeting minority teens who disproportionately suffer from tobacco related diseases. Passing state regulation of tobacco products is a critical step towards curtailing shameful marketing and advertising aimed at young Americans. As legislators of one of the fastest growing Polynesian communities, you cannot ignore this issue. Our youth have been silently suffering for much too long and it is time we stop the oppression. With that I thank you for your time and your consideration on this issue and lasting impact is has on the lives of our youth and the many generations to follow. - Joy Kavapalu ITAT Event Calendar March 18, 6-8pm Kick Butts Day Event UVU Center Stage 5th Annual MANA 5K Tobacco-Free Run June 24, 2017 at Liberty Park See our website for further details and registration. VISIT OUR SITE STAY CONNECTED! |
On February 15th, close to sixty Granger, West Lake, Bingham, and Provo ITAT youth visited the state capitol to advocate that Utah Legislators raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21 and enforce stricter regulations on flavored tobacco products. Students were able to meet with their local legislators and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. | |
Provo ITAT with Attorney General Sean Reyes | |
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Bingham ITAT with Rep. Susan Pulsipher | |
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Rep. Craig Hall with Granger ITAT students. | |
PACIFIC ISLANDER YOUTH:
ONE OF THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY'S BIGGEST TARGETS
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Bingham ITAT President, Joy Kavapalu gave a wonderful speech at Capitol Day about how tobacco influences students of color.
We made the news! Check out the Deseret News article feature here.
Read her full speech below or click here to watch:
| |
As a member of Island Teens Against Tobacco, I alongside many other Pacific Islander Teens, am able to address and advocate against one of the leading causes for death in our community, tobacco use. Tobacco companies strategically target younger populations as well as those with less formal educational backgrounds. This is why many Pacific Islander teens are at the highest risk for tobacco addiction. In fact, the Utah Department of Health Census in 2015 found that the Pacific Islander community proportionately has one of the largest youth populations in the state. In addition to a younger demographic, in Utah, only 7% of Tongans and 9% of Samoans hold a bachelor’s degree, that is the lowest of any racial group in Utah. By combining a young population with scarce college graduation rates, this leaves the Pacific Islander community as one of the most vulnerable groups to the advertising attacks of many tobacco companies. While this may be shocking to many of us, the tobacco industry has known this for many years. They have used this knowledge as a stepping stone to manipulate young, minority consumers. The tobacco industry specifically targets these groups in their marketing because they want to recruit life-long consumers.
In fact, retailers located in minority and low-income neighborhoods contain substantially more storefront advertising and offer more price promotions compared with retailers located in more affluent, non-minority neighborhoods. These retailers located in minority communities also tend to market cheaper cigarettes or provide more “buy-one, get-one” deals.
| |
These tactics infiltrate our community. Many of us have uncles, aunts, cousins and siblings who have used tobacco. We have seen lives destroyed by disease and death. We have seen futures filled with hope ripped apart by one single product. Tobacco has damaged so many of our lives and it's time we stand against big tobacco and support big change. This has grown beyond a household issue. It has festered into a community epidemic in which we must take an active stance against. Do not allow tobacco companies to continually get away with targeting minority teens who disproportionately suffer from tobacco related diseases. Passing state regulation of tobacco products is a critical step towards curtailing shameful marketing and advertising aimed at young Americans. As legislators of one of the fastest growing Polynesian communities, you cannot ignore this issue. Our youth have been silently suffering for much too long and it is time we stop the oppression. With that I thank you for your time and your consideration on this issue and lasting impact is has on the lives of our youth and the many generations to follow. - Joy Kavapalu | |
- March 18, 6-8pm Kick Butts Day Event UVU Center Stage
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5th Annual MANA 5K
Tobacco-Free Run
June 24, 2017 at Liberty Park
See our website for further details and registration.
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