Handsel Art

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 4 May 2008

For Immediate Release

Contact: J.R. Few at

(870) 427-1365 or email

handselart@marioncounty.com

Youth Assists TFMC

Ms. Holly Edwards’ 7^th and 8^th grade science classes made time to work with Tobacco Free Marion County for a media focus at Yellville Summit Middle School May 1^st. The Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Commission funded TFMC for a youth media outreach in recognition of the lack of a dedicated tobacco prevention curriculum in the county and to counter having the highest smoking during pregnancy rate in the state.

TFMC media coordinator J.R. Few shares, “Media literacy for youth is effective prevention because the tobacco industry depends on young people as a target market. Too often the sophistication of tobacco marketing is overlooked.” In the 1998 Master Settlement the tobacco industry agreed to stop marketing to youth. Ten years later 9 out of 10 smokers still become addicted as teens.

Students enjoyed a briefing on tobacco industry strategies and a discussion about why there are tobacco leaves on a dollar bill. Young people also practiced with recording digital radio copy for prevention media. TFMC visited with the 7^th and 8^th graders at Bruno-Pyatt earlier this spring.

###

Yellville Summit middle schoolers take time out at lunch for a little basketball in between tobacco prevention advocacy. Yellville-Summit 7^th and 8^th graders were able to share time after testing for the year with TFMC for media focus groups last week.

###