Letter: Don't be complacent about tobacco

To the Editor:

We have made significant progress in the past several years when it comes to reducing tobacco's harm in Minnesota, but the effects of tobacco in our state are still devastating: 625,000 Minnesotans still smoke, 77,000 Minnesota youth use tobacco, and the state loses 5,100 lives each year due to tobacco.

That's why I wanted to let you know about a new ad campaign ClearWay Minnesota is launching to remind Minnesotans that tobacco is still a problem. The first of three TV ads started airing in November and shows how difficult it can be for youth to quit using tobacco by equating the cycle of addiction to a rollercoaster.

There’s also a new website related to the campaign that offers interactive infographics to share and ways to get involved.

The compelling and shocking ads aim to keep our collective attention on the devastating effects of tobacco in the hope that we can reduce tobacco’s harm in our state. Keep an eye out for the ads on TV and in the meantime, I urge you to visit www.stillaproblem.com.

Tom Wolff

Red Wing

Tom Wolff is the tobacco program coordinator at Goodhue County Health and Human Services.

Tags: opinion, letters