ALBANY – Today, Community Partnerships for a Tobacco Free New York launched a general awareness campaign to educate New Yorkers about the impact retail tobacco marketing has on youth smoking initiation. The campaign reflects research that in-store tobacco display placement and marketing is two times more likely to influence youths than adults.

In 2006, the tobacco industry spent approximately $1.1 million per day to market its products in New York. A portion of this money is paid to licensed tobacco retailers to put their products in the most visible locations in the store. In New York State, there is one licensed tobacco retailer for every 194 adolescents and almost every licensed tobacco retailer displays interior cigarette advertising, with an average of 18 ads per store.