Town Recognizes "World No Tobacco Day" Friday

The Town of Oyster, in conjunction with "World No Tobacco Day," has proclaimed Friday as "Wear White for Clean Fresh Air Day."

Plainview-area activist Carol Meschkow offered a brief presentation to the Town Board last week calling for the town's proclamation. 

She said the WHO identifies a day annually to bring awareness to tobacco related issues and health concerns. This year’s theme is “ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship,” she said. 

"The Tobacco Lobby spends $1 million an hour on their marketing efforts to attract our youth, or replacement smokers as they are called" Meschkow said, adding the Surgeon General has described tobacco use as a pediatric epidemic.

"Each day more than 1,200 people die due to smoking," Meschkow continued. "For each of those deaths, at least two youths become regular smokers with, almost 90 percent of those replacement smokers having their first cigarette before the age of 18."

This is the sixth year the Nassau Tobacco Action Coalition and the Town of Oyster Bay have joined forces in promoting the day, called “Wear White for Clean Fresh Air Day," she said. 

Before formally giving the OK to the proclamation, Supervisor John Venditto pulled out an electronic cigarette and reported he's been trying to quit. Venditto later said he felt strongly that the habit he picked up as a young man is a "terrible, terrible habit. Don't start," he said.