Elena Haskins, senior at Hamilton Central School received honorable mention at this year’s Youth Advocate of the Year Award ceremony at the Capitol in Albany.
Pictured in front row from left are Olivia Welsh of Madison, Tori Hysell of Madison; second row from left: Morgan Fox of Morrisville, Elena Haskins of Hamilton, Lauren Hysell of Madison, Madison Hysell of Madison. Third row from left are Breeanna Champion of Boonville, Brandon Gotham of Hamilton, Justine Sales of New Hartford; and in the top row from left are Gabe Camp of Morrisville and Brennan Hysell of Madison.
(Madison County, NY- Feb. 2014) New York State Tobacco Control Programs have been proven to reduce youth smoking and help current smokers to quit.
That is the message representatives from Reality Check and BRiDGES to Prevent Tobacco from Madison, Oneida and Herkimer counties took to Albany Feb. 12 to inform state lawmakers about established tobacco control programs, many funded by the state, that are now in place to reduce the burden caused by tobacco and to save lives and state tax dollars.
State legislators were invited to visit the Well of the Legislative Office Building where local TCP representatives were joined by volunteer youth leaders to answer questions, offer resources and give demonstrations about effective tobacco prevention programs being delivered across the state.
Students from Hamilton, Madison, Morrisville, Boonville and New Hartford participated in the day’s activities by meeting with their elected leaders and celebrate with hundreds of youth from across New York state at the annual Youth Advocate of the Year Award Ceremony.
Elena Haskins, senior at Hamilton Central School received honorable mention at this year’s Youth Advocate of the Year Award ceremony at the Capitol in Albany. While in Albany, she met with staff from both Sen. David J. Valesky (D-Oneida) and Assemblyman Butler’s office regarding the importance of tobacco control programs.
Haskins is a member of Reality Check, the New York state youth-led movement aimed at exposing the marketing practices of the tobacco industry in order to prevent youth smoking. She is part of the Reality Check group that covers Madison, Oneida and Herkimer counties.
Haskins attended this annual event where hundreds of youth and other tobacco control advocates come together to share their successes as well as stress the continued burden that tobacco has in our communities.
Youth leaders who attended from Madison County included Jordyn Camp, 15, Morrisville; Gabe Camp, 12, Morrisville; Morgan Fox, 15, Morrisville; Olivia Welsh, 15, Madison; Victoria Hysell, 15, Madison; Brennan Hysell, 12, Madison; Madison Hysell, 12, Madison; Lauren Hysell, 12, Madison; Breeanna Champion, 15, Boonville; Justine Sales, 15, New Hartford; Haskins, 17, DeRuyter; and Brandon Gotham, 18, Hamilton.
“The cost of tobacco use can be measured in dollars and lives,” said Sue Casanova, coordinator for BRiDGES to Prevent Tobacco. “Health care costs are staggering and cost the taxpayers of NYS more than $10.3 billion annually. The human toll is immeasurable in terms of those who suffer debilitating illnesses and numbers of lives lost. The NYS Tobacco control program has made significant progress but there is much more work to do.”
In New York state, more than 23,600 lives are lost due to tobacco use annually. Smoking rates are higher in Madison and Oneida counties where more than 25 percent of adults smoke.
The state Tobacco Control Program is made up of four modalities with representatives who live and work in the communities they serve. These are community partnerships, tobacco cessation centers, Reality Check and the state Smokers’ Quitline.
“Reality check is a youth tobacco prevention organization that works with local community partners across New York State to educate local, state and corporate leaders about evidence-based policies that will reduce tobacco marketing and imagery, to protect youth from the addiction, disease and death that tobacco brings,” said NYS Reality Check 2013 Youth Advocate of the Year, Brendan Bialy. “The tobacco industry spends millions of dollars in New York to market their products and recruit new young smokers. Everyday 3,000 kids begin to smoke as a result. This is why Reality Check is needed. Companies that kill half their customers don’t deserve to reign any longer and Reality Check is the solution.”
The NYTCP implements evidence-based and promising strategies to prevent and reduce tobacco use. The NYTCP envisions a tobacco-free society for all New Yorkers. For more information, visit TobaccoFreeNY.org.
For more information about Reality Check, call 315.727.6296 or visit www.realitycheckcny.com.