A former tobacco industry executive said Friday in Charleston that cigarette companies have targeted black people in America.
LaTanisha Wright began working for the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., based in Louisville, Ky., in 2001. She resigned after the company merged with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in July 2004 to form Reynolds American.
"My goal is to educate people in churches, schools and community centers, as well as public health officials," Wright said. She said her experience in the tobacco industry makes her better able to help people now.
"Our training stresses how Big Tobacco targets black communities. A lot of people living in black communities don't recognize that," Wright said. "They targeted black communities and youth. They post many more billboards and signs in black communities than in white communities."
About 40 people attended Wright's five-hour training session on Friday at the Blessed John XXIII Pastoral Center. Melissa Lewis, who works for the West Virginia Department of Veterans Affairs, was one of them.
"Today, people start smoking at a younger age," she said. "They think it is cool and brings them more friends. They don't realize the dangers and threats to their future health."
Not only that, she said, but smoking is a major economic drain for many people, with cigarettes often selling for about $4 a pack.
"Cigarettes are very expensive. By not buying them, we could be better off financially," she said.
Drema Robertson coordinates work for the African-American Tobacco Prevention Center in Bluefield and helped organize Wright's training sessions in Charleston, Bluefield and Kimball, McDowell County this week.
Donald Reed, who works with Robertson, has visited coal towns over the past two years encouraging people to quit using tobacco.
"West Virginia is No. 1 in the country in spit tobacco use, No. 2 in smoking during pregnancy and No. 3 in the smoking rate among adults," Reed said.
No comments:
Post a Comment