"Big Tobacco is promoting its deadly products in a big way in Western Africa. This time, it's by using the name of the fourth largest city in the United States. The SmokeFree Houston coalition would like to denounce the use of "Houston" as the name of a cigarette brand. This gives the impression to young people that if you smoke a "Houston" cigarette, you will somehow be able to live "fast, glamourous, and fun" like you do in the big city. This is completely misleading, and dangerously so. Tobacco is addictive, dangerous, and deadly. You will not be glamourous, beautiful, and independent by using this product. What will happen are the immediate effects of bad breath, yellow teeth, and smelly clothing, and the long-term effects of heart disease, lung cancer, and emphysema. Worldwide, tobacco use causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths, 30% of all cancers, 20-25% of coronary heart diseases and stroke deaths, and more than 80% of chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

The addictive nature of tobacco makes the industry's targeting of children and young people all the more insidious. Young people often have little understanding of the concept of addiction. A survey of US high school daily smokers found that only 5% of those teenagers thought that they would "definitely" be smoking 5 years later. In actuality, seven to nine years later, nearly 75% of them were still daily smokers.

How has the industry been able to peddle its product so effectively worldwide? The answer is that they have followed an effective strategy of disputing the health evidence, and building a lobby powerful enough to defy public opinion.

Houston is working hard toward decreasing the number of kids that use tobacco. We have had 30-40% decreases in tobacco use among 12-13 year olds over the past few years due to intensive media and community education efforts. Unfortunately, our education budget doesn't anywhere near reach how much the industry spends to promote its products--11 billion dollars per year in the US alone!

Don't allow the industry to exploit your nation's youth, and start them on the road to a life-long addiction to tobacco. Adopt guidelines from the "Framework Convention on Tobacco Control" treaty, whose objective is to "protect present and future generations from the devastating consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke." All nations involved are encouraged to adopt measures that include but are not limited to banning tobacco advertising and promotion, requiring prominent health warnings on tobacco packaging, and implementing strong policies that prohibit smoking in public places. A multi-media community education component is also strongly recommended.

Let the city of Houston be a model for discouraging tobacco use, NOT the other way around."

-- Donna Roy, SmokeFree Houston Coalition