Press from our Summit

SCHENECTADY -- Hundreds of teenagers descended on the Capital Region Thursday to protest tobacco advertising's impact on children and the frequency with which characters smoke in movies.

About 300 teens from across the state took over Schenectady's Veterans Park, Scotia's Freedom/Collins Park, Saratoga Springs' Congress Park and the Empire State Plaza to stage mock plays, chant cautionary statistics about the health dangers of smoking and gather signatures in hopes of stopping convenience stores from placing cigarette ads at children's eye levels.

For the statewide group called Reality Check, it was its largest coordinated effort since being formed from tobacco settlement money about eight years ago, said Sarah Jennette, a Reality Check trainer and SUNY Plattsburgh student.

"We wanted to do something really big," Jennette said.

Jennette was among about 60 people who staged their protest at Veterans Park Thursday afternoon. A group of teens stood on State Street, holding up signs, beating a drum and chanting messages such as, "every eight seconds, someone dies from a tobacco-related illness."

Others flanked the entrance of the Schenectady County Office Building, some wearing white hazmat outfits, holding up signs protesting smoking in movies.

Kathleen Herlihy, 16, of Geneseo, Livingston County, dressed as Brad Pitt and wore a mortar board around her neck to protest the star's alleged smoking habit and how it makes smoking look cool for kids.

Herlihy, who has been a member of Reality Check since eighth grade, said she likes the idea she's helping a cause. She also said she enjoys meeting other teens and getting to travel as the group did this week. All the teens are staying at Union College dorms during their visit.

Makayla Glover, 16, of Elmira, was part of a group staging a mock awards show that was giving golden coffins, instead of Oscars, to members of the Hollywood elite who encourage smoking in movies. In order to draw attention, Glover wore a red wig and a blue polka-dot dress as a costume.

Glover got involved in Reality Check as an eighth-grader after her mother, who works for Reality Check partner Cornell Cooperative Extension, encouraged her to do so.

"It's showing people that young people care about everyone's health," Glover said.

Teenagers from 13 to 18 are recruited to join Reality Check, often through school-based events. There is one adult Reality Check coordinator in each county, but many of the events are organized by older teens or previous high school leaders who have moved on to college. County chapters typically stage small protests in their own communities and appeal to municipal leaders to support different types of bans on smoking and tobacco advertising.