About Us The Tobacco Free Network of Oswego County is a group of individuals and health/human service organizations committed to reducing the human and social toll of tobacco use in Oswego County. This partnership’s efforts are supported with funding from the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control. Locally, this group utilizes outreach opportunities with residents at community events, interventions with decision makers, and media to achieve the following goals; Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke Decrease the social acceptability of tobacco use Promote cessation from tobacco use and the NYS Smoker’s Quitline Prevent the initiation of tobacco use among youth and young adults Did You Know Just 20 minutes in a smoky room causes a non-smoker's blood platelets to become almost as "sticky" as a pack-a-day smoker's. "Sticky" platelets increase the likelihood of clotting that can cause stroke or heart attack. Although adult smoking rates have been steady or declining since the 80’s, smoking in movies is more than twice as common now as it was between 1980 and 1982. Research shows that adolescents are aware of the high prevalence of smoking in films; and that this perception of high smoking rates on screen leads youth to believe exaggerated ideas of the numbers of peers and adults that smoke. 400,000 people in the US die annually due to tobacco related illness. This life loss is equivalent to three jumbo jets crashing every day for a year. The tobacco industry spends $800 million dollars each year in New York to market their deadly products. Youth are more than twice as likely as adults to recall this advertising (55% versus 23%) and an estimated 1/3 of adolescent experimentation with smoking can be directly attributed to tobacco advertising and promotional activities. Join Us If you would like to become part of this movement, please contact us for more information. Christina Wilson, Coordinator Brandy Koproski, Data Specialist Mary Helen Park, Assistant tobacofreenetwork@icpoc.org 315.343.2344