In its regular monthly meeting, scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. in the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department auditorium at 3629 South D Street in Tacoma, the Board of Health will decide whether to limit all tobacco advertising that can be seen from the street to black and white type stating brand, price and availability. Dr. Federico Cruz-Uribe, Director of Health, said the resolution, entitled Truth in Tobacco Advertising in Pierce County , is intended to reduce the influence that the tobacco industry has on children. This resolution would make tobacco far less seductive for children in Pierce County. Dr. Cruz said Pierce County has a serious problem with childhood tobacco addiction. Nearly 25 percent of our kids are addicted to tobacco before they finish high school.
Experimentation begins early for some.
We've heard reports of some children taking up tobacco use by the time they are just 5 or 6 years old. By the sixth grade, about 20 percent have tried tobacco. By the eighth grade, half have. Dr. Cruz said those who argue that kids are not influenced by tobacco advertising simply don't know the facts. The health impacts of tobacco use are well known.