This post was sponsored by Tobacco Free New York State as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Did you know that the average age of a new smoker in New York State is 13 years old?!?

It is both scary and sad to think that my 8-year-old daughter is only five years away from the average age of a new smoker in our state. This is one of the reasons why I place full support behind the “Seen Enough Tobacco” campaign. Kids, regardless of age, should not be exposed to tobacco, period. Tobacco use and exposure can lead to serious health issues. Therefore, my husband and I have been diligent in protecting our daughter from tobacco use and exposure.

5.6 million Americans under 18 years old are projected to die from a tobacco-related disease

Unfortunately, our daughter was exposed to tobacco at an early age. Where we were living there was a tenant who, no matter how many times they were asked to not smoke inside the house, they continued to do so. It was selfish and disrespectful, especially since we all knew that second-hand can be more harmful. Seeing that this was a losing battle, this prompted my husband and me to purchase our own home. This allowed us to control the environment in which our daughter was raised, including her exposure to cigarette smoke and other tobacco products.

Advocate for your Kids to Have Less Tobacco Exposure

There was a time when people were allowed to smoke in restaurants, on planes, in offices, and since finding out the effects of tobacco smoke, laws and regulations have been put in place to stop smoking in public places. But, sometimes preventing people from smoking in public places isn’t enough to stop exposing our kids to tobacco products. Which is why, last year, I voted on various tobacco and e-cigarette related NYS PTA resolutions to prevent tobacco products from being displayed, marketed and sold to our children. In fact, beginning in 2014, there was a 4-year span of increased e-cigarette use by 160% among high school students. Crazy, right? It’s almost sickening.

I am happy that both the NYS PTA and Nassau County PTA saw fit to tackle this, and on May 23, 2018, the Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously to approve legislation  that raises the minimum age to 21 to purchase tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, Juuls, and other nicotine products). This was a huge win for parents like you and me, that are against the sale of tobacco products to children.

Take the Pledge if You’ve “Seen Enough Tobacco”

If you are a parent like me and the 15,000 others who have “Seen Enough Tobacco” marketed to our children, it’s time to join the fight against tobacco companies that spend billions of dollars to market products that harm our kids. Take the pledge to protect our kids from being exposed here – SeenEnoughTobacco.org. Our kids shouldn’t grow up with harmful tobacco products in their face when they’re shopping for candy and other snacks.

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This post was sponsored by Tobacco Free New York State as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.