Women, Girls and Smoking: Dispelling the Myths, Countering the Messages

Leading cause of preventable death Kills more than 9,700 Hoosiers each year 3,800 of those who die prematurely each year are women 22% of adult women are current smokers 23% of high school girls are current smokers Toll of Tobacco on Indiana

Tobacco use by women results in $750.6 Million in direct health care costs for Indiana -- every year.

Nearly 90% of lung cancer cases 1 in 5 deaths from heart disease 1/3 of ALL cancer deaths and are related to tobacco use

TOBACCO COMPANIES TARGET WOMEN AND GIRLS

1930’s 1950’s

1970’s

1984

1990’s

2000

Time April 28, % Youth Readership 1.8 Million Youth Readers

Cosmopolitan, May 2003

Entertainment Weekly February 27, 2004

From the Industry’s Documents “Actually, one of their main terminal values is to look attractive. In other words, a woman cannot be attractive if she is fat. Aerobics (gym) is therefore one of their major activities, when they do not try to meet the opposite sex in parties, bars or discotheques. This is their conception of having an exciting life for the time being.” - Philip Morris, 1993

“ Specifically, these young adult females agree that smoking is: attractive to the opposite sex, sophisticated/stylish, less intelligent, more aggressive, more mature, less feminine, smoke because friends do, feel more comfortable around others, feel that I'm rebelling…” - RJ Reynolds, 1982

…attractive to the opposite sex

…sophisticated/stylish,

…less intelligent,

…more aggressive, … less feminine

…smoke because friends do,

…feel that I'm rebelling…

The newest

“focus on products that are ‘wow,’ ” and “that add fun and excitement to the category.” - Cressida Lozano, Vice President for Marketing of the Camel brand

Full page ads started in January 2007 and are now running in: InStyle Cosmopolitan Marie Claire Vogue Elle Glamour Newsweek Lucky

No. 9 parties – “ladies only” nights Booths offering facials, manicures, makeup and hair styling Bags full of treats: pink mirror, cell phone accessories, make up, invite to next event AND CIGARETTES New drink to honor the new brand – the Divine Nine martini

Indianapolis Events March 21 and March 28 DJ concert and fashion show Popular night clubs

Direct Mail Marketing Targets Girls

Tobacco is killing our daughters, mothers, aunts, friends, and us. 100% preventable You can do something!

Do Something Contact your legislator and ask him/her to support an increase in the cigarette tax and the Healthy Indiana Plan. 2.Write a letter to the editor of women’s magazines that are running tobacco ads. 3.Support passage of legislation to give FDA authority to regulate tobacco.

Do Something 4.Promote the Indiana Tobacco Quit Line: QUIT-NOW ( ). 5.Empower youth to fight back against the tobacco industry and encourage them to get involved at 6.Give your business to venues that are smoke free; actively support local smoke free air laws in all workplaces.

Do Something 7.Establish policies in your worksite, community center, health care facility, or faith based organization that protect everyone from second hand smoke. 8.Provide incentives to employees who don’t smoke or quit smoking and offer cessation resources. 9.Contact 9 women you know, share information from this forum, and ask them to do the Top 9 List as well!