Like health professionals around the world, the City's Health Department is concerned about the impact of tobacco glamorization on youth. Smoking in films is on the increase. UCSF Professor, Stan Glantz, recently found in a review of films from the 1990's that nearly 80 per cent of male stars in films smoke although only 25 per cent of American adult males smoke. Local filmmakers, teachers, artists, and health educators judged the student artwork. The artists were honored by city officials at a ceremony in Berkeley for World No Tobacco Day last week.
Tobacco use kills more people everyday than three jumbo jet crashes.
More people die each day from tobacco related disease in the United States than from AIDS, auto-accidents, alcohol and drugs, homicides and suicides and fires combined. Each day 300 youth light up for the first time in California. About one-fourth of them will die.