Letter to the Editor
Mona Stark
Cherry. Grape. Vanilla. Today’s kids not only see these flavors in their Halloween candy, but also in a variety of new flavored-tobacco products designed to hook teens in my community.
If you don’t believe that tobacco products come in candy flavors, take a look for yourself the next time you’re in a convenience store.
That’s what I did last weekend as I conducted environmental scans as a member of the Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Poverty Network FACT group. FACT is a teen led tobacco prevention movement and the scans are our way of knowing how tobacco companies are advertising in our community.
They had flavored tobacco products right next to candy and gum sections kids shop from all the time.
I think stores shouldn’t have tobacco products right next to regular products like food because that can make kids curious about how they taste, especially considering all the fruity flavors they have and the colorful packaging they’re wrapped in.
As if their kid-tempting flavors weren’t bad enough, these products are also far less expensive than traditional tobacco products.
Their cheaper price and candy flavors make these products very appealing to young people.
In fact, more kids are using e-cigarettes, which come in a large variety of flavors, in this country now than traditional cigarettes.
The WTPPN FACT group will be visiting more convenience stores in Milwaukee in the next few weeks to learn more about these dangerous products that are enticing teens.
For more on these candy-flavored tobacco products, or to get involved in local tobacco prevention and control efforts visit factmovement.org.
Sincerely,
Mona Stark
Shorewood Intermediate
WTPPN FACT