Dose of Reality

Reality Spills: ALL OVER THE 4-H Youth Fair!

2009-07-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Reality Check was a major part of this year's 4-H Youth Fair held at the 4-H Acres in Ithaca NY. Scott Williams, Garth and Chloe Bowersox, DeAnna Darling, and Robin Presthus all attended the Youth Fair and spent their days teaching about the initiatives RC has to offer. Reality Check had a large tent, filled with great information and awesome goodies and gear to show your support of the cause. We educated minds and informed them of the dangers of big tobacco, the dirty tactics they use, and how we can STOP them! Big tobacco didn't get their foot in the door at the Youth Fair, large "No Smoking" and "Smoke Free" signs were placed all around the grounds. Reality Check was more than a tent at fair, it was a beacon! We showed 4-H'ers and the community at large the work that Reality Check has been, and is doing! We had information about POP, Smoke Free Movies, Outdoor Public Places, and Sponsorship and Promotion. Reality hit the Pole Barn as well, Reality Check teen, Robin Presthus, represented RC well, by placing 5th out of 25, in the renowned Round Robin competition, each participant showed a goat, sheep, and a cow. The talent show also wouldn't have been the same, without the inspirational story of Sylvia, the Reality Cow, who overcame her long time addiction to "chewing" and came to apply for the Reality Check Coordinator position to teach and save other farm animals from the dangers of Big Tobacco. All in all the RC teens played an important role in the Youth Fair, and helped to make the community atmosphere at 4-H's Youth Fair even stronger. Look for Reality Check at this year's Lansing Harbor Fest!

Reality Hits Movie Nights

2009-07-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Rural Youth Services, during the summer, holds free movie nights for community members in Lansing, and Trumansburg. Reality Check has teamed up with the two youth services programs this summer to educate communities and families about the dangers of smoking in movies. The "Smoke Free" Summer Movies call many from the community to come out and enjoy a movie and snacks sponsored by wither the local youth services program or Reality Check, but they also gain the great knowledge of the dangers of Smoking in Movies. Chloe Bowersox a long time Reality Check member introduced SFM one night in Trumansburg, she had this to say, "Its unfortunate, but Tobacco Companies are replacing their dead and dying customers with YOUTH, and that is not ok, this is where Reality Check comes in, to bring tobacco companies back to reality, and letting them know that we are not going to take it anymore." Families are becoming more and more informed about deceptive marketing practices used by Big Tobacco, and this gives them an edge, even though big tobacco spends millions and millions of dollars a day on advertising, families now know, Reality Check is helping to warn families and the community to watch out, and stand up for their youth, to stop smoking in kid's movies.

The New Face Of: Reality

2009-07-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, as of the end of July, 2009, Reality Check in Tompkins County will no longer be funded by NYS. In order for the program to continue there will be some changes made. Here is a brief overview of the new face of Reality.
1. The focus of Reality Check will be on demonstrations, planning workshops, and attending public meetings.
2. Areas of concentration will be Outdoor Public Places, Smoke Free Movies, POP, and Sponsorship and Promotion. Smoke Free Movies, and Outdoor Public Places will be the main focus.
3. Meetings will continue to occur once a week, for about two hours, although most meetings will be held at the Ithaca Church Of Christ.
4. Reality Check will become a 4-H club.
5. Funding will be in the form of grants, and donations. Fund raising ideas will be explored.

The new face of Reality will be aimed at a youth-run youth focused theme. Reality Check will be continued by the current focused youth, and it is because of their passion and dedication that we will continue to see Reality Check work in Tompkins County. For other questions email rpresthus@yahoo.com or check out our Reality Check Page on Facebook!

Saying GoodBye To Sylvia!

2009-06-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sylvia Duran has been Reality Check Coordinator for a while now, and she has done tons of work with the teens. She has organized too many meetings to count, demonstrations, and workshops.The teens have benefited from her hard work and devotion to the program, and the ideas proposed by reality check. To show Sylvia how much they cared for her, the reality check teens held a suprise party in her honor Sunday June 21, at Myers Park in Lansing. The teens put the whole thing together with help from parents, Rebecca Bowersox, and Carolann Darling, and 4-H coordinator Megan Tifft. From all the teens a Big Thank you to all involved. The party recognized all of the time and love Sylvia has put into the program, we know it wont be the same without her. Sylvia will be going to Law School at Colombia University, and will be visited every weekend by the teens ;) The program will continue under guidence and support from community leaders who are sympathetic to the cause. The program due to a slight budget problem will undergo some restructuring, uncluding a new more teen focused approach to organizing and executing demonstrations and events. Sylvia has given so much, and she is greatly appreciated, and loved. Reality Check <3's SD!!

Reality Hits NYC: Smoke Free Movies!

2009-06-03T15:50:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,
Reality Check teens from around NYS met over the weekend of June 1st to demonstrate their disgust in the current hollywood attitude towards tobacco products in movies. Lets look at the facts, there have been many studies preformed and the data is rock solid, children who continually see smoking in movies are 3X more likely to become smokers themselves. The tobacco industry is giving payoffs to movie producers, Time Warner, Newscorp, Viacom, and Sony, just to name a few, to put their cigarette packages or whatever it is into the movies. Product placement is leading to brand loyalty, not to mention a child's favorite movie character, and in many cases role model, who is seen smoking just sets a bad example. It is high time that we show the movie industry that we will not tollerate their lazy do nothing attitudes towards the tobacco industry. We want children to be protected. In front of Central Park, NYC on June 1st, 250 Reality Check teens from around NYS gathered to show their support of the proposed: R ratings on films with tobacco products used, or displayed. And to certify that there are no payoffs from the tobacco companies to the film industries. Dignitaries such as Comissioner of Health, Dr. Daines, WHO leader, Barbra Zolty, was there, as well as a representitive from the Attorney General's office, Christine Morrison. Gorups form four regions of NYS then marched through manhattan to four different movie production headquarters, Sony, Viacom, Time Warner, and NewsCorp. There the teens repeated the demonstration using chants, and signs saying STOP TOXIC MOVIES, and SAVE 60,000 LIVES! This was a wake up call for the film industry, and a call that we would no longer accept there complacency in this issue, we want protection for all! What a great, dose of reality!

Our Proposal!

2009-04-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is Chloe again, I'm gonna talk about my recent trip to see the legislative committee.It was March 23rd on a sunny afternoon, I took a trip to go see the legislative committee and I met all of the legislative committee. It was very interesting to hear what they had to say about our proposal. Our proposal was about how smoking can really affect people on the commons. I really thought that a group member, Charles, did a very fine job on how he gave his his speech to the committee... I really hope that our proposal gets passed!!!

-Chloe :]

I P.O.P. money like I P.O.P. corn

2009-02-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

WAZZUP, It be Garth up in here, listen... On Saturday 31, 2009 Claudia, John, Scott, and I dropped by Sammies Pizza on the coomons. We walked down Martin Luther King St.(A.K.A State st.) to find businesses that advertise and distribute tobbacco and tobacco related items and confront them of their evil deeds. We only found two places though that do, the Sunoco gas station by the library, but they didnt advertise that much tobacco, and the Mobil gas station on Rt. 13. We gave the Sunoco station a T-free sticker to put on their door. We still havn't talked to the Mobil station, but we are planning on it. Ight, I'm done, So, I be out, peace!

Cory Booker Event

2009-02-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

The Cory T Booker event was awesome. First there was this guy from Africa who played music with his band for an hour while everyone danced. I even had to stand up. There was also this dance group, I forgot their names. They were really good, but it just made me jealous. After the intermission there was a second performance by the dance group. Finally Cory Booker spoke. He is a really good speaker, and made some really good points, none of which I can remember, so they must not of been that good. Anyway after the speech he took some questions. People really don't know how to ask questions, and then we went home.

Movie News

2009-01-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hey its Chloe again and I am making a movie with Mairi! It is drama and comedy all at once!!! This movie is about a girl named Sylvia who gets peer pressured into smoking. Iwanted to make a movie about that because the dangers of smoking are just amazing!! In this movie I want get across that teens and even children should not smoke. This movie also gives you the facts about smoking, the things they won't tell you.

chloe out

Garth Bowersox (aka DJ Lucky Charms)

2008-12-18T15:27:00.001-08:00

My name is Garth and I am in Reality Check. I joined this group because I feel that tobacco(smoking in general) accomplishes absolutely nothing. I have participated in Reality Check for about 3 years now and feel that this group has actually done something to the Ithacan atmosphere. I am currently a director of POP(Point Of Purchase) which deals with retailers and their tobacco ads.

scott williams :)

2008-12-18T15:12:00.000-08:00

My name is Scott,i go to Trumansburg High School and am currently a sophomore. I joined reality check because i strongly believe in kid's knowing about the tabacco industrie's and how they are trying to manipulate all kid's to buy their products. I am currently a part of a program named P.O.P. (point of purchase) and i am also the director of this program. It deals with the retailers and how we are going to try and remove or relocate the tobacco ads.

2008-12-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

Hi, I'm Mairi! I am the third newest member of Reality Check (lol). I'm 16, and go to Lansing High School (ew). As of week-before-last I am helping Chloe with the Smoke Free Movies project, which I think is a really awesome thing :) I am really busy allll the time.... SO It has taken me like 3 weeks to get this up!

Well, I don't really know what to say now!

Peace out, RC 4 life!

Hi Everybody!

2008-12-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

My name is Claudia, and I officially joined Reality Check this week as your Assistant Coordinator. Woohoo! I will be working closely with Sylvia to make sure our program gets heard in every activity we engage in. I was happy to meet most you guys at this Monday's (12/01) meeting, where I briefly introduced myself. In case you missed it, I'm a Cornell undergraduate student studying Urban and Regional Studies (URS) in the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, (emphasis on planning =). The URS program is in the City and Regional Planning (CRP) department where we mostly study cities. Yes, just cities! I really love what I do in school, and getting to spend my off-classroom time with Reality Check, in the City of Ithaca, will allow me to share my experiences with youth empowerment I strongly believe that where we grow up makes up a huge part of whom we become later in life. Our surroundings do affect us, and just as likely, we can make a positive impact in our own communities by voicing the facts about big tobacco as they target under aged members of the community! With that said, I can't pass up sharing this NPR story with you. National Public Radio recently did a series of reports on the 10 year anniversary settlement case with big tobacco. I suggest you take a look at the video of tobacco advertising history also available through that link.

Other fun facts about me: I grew up in Miami, Florida, where it's very hot and humid year 'round. So, yes, I usually freeze here in Upstate NY! I love cities. I try to visit at least 1 different city each year, because it teaches me how people live in different parts of the earth. This year, I went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, the only other Latin American city I have visited aside from where I was born, Managua, Nicaragua. I also, draw/paint, and take photographs as a hobby. If I weren't studying cities, I'd probably be an artist. OK, that should be enough info on me for the time being. But, I am looking forward to learning more about YOU guys in the coming months! I will keep you posted with more details next week.

Sponsorship & Promotion

2008-11-24T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hi,
My name is Robin, I'm 16, and just joined Reality Check at the beginning of this year. I decided to join reality check because we get to do tons of stuff, and really be in control about how we do it. It takes a lot more out of us, and we put more in because if we don't do it, who will? We work to stop advertising from Big tobacco corporations, targeting teens. We try to uncover ways in which we can get the word out, and stop underage tobacco use, and purchase. My job is to work with area organizations, and have them agree to advertise their event as "smoke Free" which means not only will smoking not be tolerated on the premises of the event, the organizers will not accept any bribes, or money from Big tobacco companies in exchange for advertising at the event. My other job is to organize promotional items for reality check. Thats where all of the awesome hats, tee-shirts, and baller bands come from, we give out promotional items to those donating their time to speak with us, as well as passing them out at events. Thanks for check'in us out, and we hope to see you sometime!

10th Anniversary of 1998 Tobacco Settlement

2008-11-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

It has been ten years since the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement was reached. Through this agreement, 46 states settled their lawsuits against the major tobacco companies to recover tobacco-related health care costs, joining four states (Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Minnesota) that had reached earlier, individual settlements.

The settlements require the tobacco companies to make annual payments to the states in perpetuity, with total payments estimated at $246 billion over the first 25 years.

Thanks to this settlement, groups like ours have been able to decrease smoking rates among youth and adults. From 1997 to 2007, smoking rates declined by 45 percent among high school students and by 20 percent among adults. BUT 20 percent of high school students and 19.8 percent of adults still smoke, and tobacco use remains the nation’s leading cause of preventable death, killing more than 400,000 people and costing nearly $100 billion in health care expenditures each year.

So the fight is far from over ...

A new report released by a coalition of public health organizations reveals that the states are not doing enough to support tobacco control. The facts speak for themselves!

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KEY FINDINGS

1. Over the past 10 years, the states have received $203.5 billion in tobacco-generated revenue — $79.2 billion from the tobacco settlement and $124.3 billion from tobacco taxes. But they have spent only 3.2 percent of their tobacco money — $6.5 billion — on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

2. This year, no state is funding tobacco prevention programs at the levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only nine states are funding tobacco prevention at even half the CDC-recommended amount, and 27 states are providing less than a quarter of the recommended funding. (Beginning in fiscal 2010, North Dakota will fund its prevention program at the CDC-recommended level as a result of a state ballot initiative approved on November 4.)

3. The limited restrictions on tobacco marketing imposed by the tobacco settlement have failed to curtail the tobacco industry’s ability to aggressively market its products. Annual tobacco marketing expenditures have increased by 94 percent, from $6.9 billion in 1998 to $13.4 billion in 2005, the most recent year for which the Federal Trade Commission has reported such data. The tobacco companies spend nearly $19 to market tobacco products for every $1 the states spend to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This year alone, the states will collect $24.6 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend less than three percent of it on tobacco prevention programs. It would take just 15 percent of this tobacco revenue to fund tobacco prevention programs in every state at CDC-recommended levels.

It has been ten years ... Much has been accomplished but there is still much to be done. The tobacco industry continues targeting youth, like our Reality Check teens ... They have infiltrated our communities through presence in movies, events, magazines, and retail. They are spending billions to market a deadly product. We MUST support tobacco control programs and this can be done by upholding the intent of the Master Settlement.

NOTE: The report, titled "A Decade of Broken Promises: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement Ten Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Reality Check Halloween!

2008-11-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

We work very hard for our community. So this Halloween, we took a break to enjoy some bowling at Cornell's Helen Newman Bowling Center.

Reality Check Bowling Party. Chloe is hard core.

Yes, Scott is scary. And yes, we love candy and soda.

We are always looking for new members. So if you want to be a leader in your community and are interested in having some fun along the way, leave us a message or contact me at sd237@cornell.edu.

S to the D

PS In case you were wondering, I totally had the highest score! I play to win! :)

2008-11-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Charles Pratt. I'm 18 and a student senior at Groton High School. This is my first year in Reality Check, and I am excited to work to decrease tobacco companies' influence in our communities. I am the Legislative Director, and I hope to get many laws passed to decrease this influence.

introduction

2008-10-09T15:17:00.002-07:00

Hello my name is Chloe. Im 13 years young. I am very proud to be a Reality Check youth participant. It is very interesting to learn about the amazing facts about teens and how often they smoke. Did you know that approximately 3 million kids under the age of 18 are current smokers? I just think that is not cool and I sleep very good at night knowing that I help bring that number down.

This is chloe out

Director of Smoke Free Movies that will someday be a VERY creative director

Join Us - Orientation Meeting 2008

2008-09-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

Join Reality Check!

Our first meeting of the year is ....

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17th, 2008
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Cornell Cooperative Extension - ROOM C

LOCATION
Cornell Cooperative Extension
615 Willow Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14850

We are looking for teens ...

Between ages 13-18
Who like to think for themselves
Who stand up for what's right
Who like to meet people and travel
Who want to be leaders in the community

Bringing You a Reality Check

2008-09-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

Reality Check is a youth led anti-tobacco industry organization based in the great state of New York. We work on projects to inform the community about the long-term effects of tobacco and to uncover the tobacco industry's manipulative advertising aimed at youth.

They target us because they see us as the most uninformed. But ... we are changing that.

We work with legislators who can make policy-changes, we educate our community to increase awareness of the truth, and most importantly, we empower other teens to stand-up to Big Tobacco.

We are not anti-smoker. We are for the truth. We are against the tobacco industry that deliberately recruits underage smokers in order to replace their dying customers.