Health commissioner: Tobacco companies target girls

In Jefferson County, 30 percent of mothers smoke during pregnancy. Over 20 percent of Indiana high school girls smoke, along with over 10 percent of girls in middle school. Marketing may be responsible for some of those numbers."It's clear that the tobacco companies target women and young girls," said Dr. Judy Monroe, Indiana state health commissioner.Monroe spoke to an audience including doctors, nurses, community members and a handful of young girls during a special presentation at King's Daughters' Hospital on Tuesday night. The presentation was part of the Influence Women's Health Forum, a program to educate Indiana communities about women's health issues.The forum began last year in response to a marketing campaign featuring Camel No. 9 cigarettes, a brand Monroe said was targeted directly to young women. Part of the campaign featured "ladies only" nights where women were given a variety of free items including manicures, makeup, cell phone accessories and cigarettes."They really had to take me off the ceiling. I was outraged when I heard this," Monroe said.Yet marketing tobacco to women is nothing new. Brands like Lucky Strike started advertising directly to women around World War II. In the 1970s, Virginia Slims were introduced. One advertisement for the slender cigarettes proclaimed that they were made "especially for women because they are biologically superior to men."Advertising, especially in magazines, has continued to feature women smoking in the hopes of conveying various messages to target audiences."There has been an increased effort to target young women in recent times," Monroe said.In Indiana, smoking rates are higher for middle school girls than boys. "They've got a market," Monroe said. "They're going to go where the money is."Part of the Influence Women's Health forum, which is an ongoing state initiative, is to empower women to become educated on the issues and advocate for change. Monroe praised KDH for its smoke-free campus."That's really a powerful message for a hospital to give the community," she said.In response to an audience member's question about what else can be done at the community level to decrease smoking rates, Monroe responded that education is a key component."I think raising youth awareness is one area where we can do more," she said.Another audience member cited Mr. Potato Head as an example of the strides made to decrease smoking's appeal to youngsters. The popular children's toy featured a pipe until 1987."Habits and attitudes, they do start early," Monroe said.A seventh-grader in the audience asked Monroe what she could do to help keep her peers from lighting up. The student said the topic had been covered in her health class and that "a lot of girls looked very upset" when the teacher showed cigarette ads that could appeal to young girls."Getting upset about it is a really healthy thing," Monroe said. "They're targeting you."Monroe encouraged the student to talk about the issues with friends, parents and teachers to find creative ways to promote a non-smoking lifestyle.While the forum is focused on women's health issues, Monroe knows the addiction affects everyone in the state. Smoking costs Indiana over $2 billion in total medical costs each year and results in over 9,800 deaths. For Monroe, who is also a family physician, the numbers behind the dollar signs demand action."As a physician, the quality of life is the one that always pulls at my heartstrings," she said.Elizabeth Auxier, the tobacco cessation program coordinator at KDH, first heard Monroe speak at a Shape Up Indiana event and knew the local community could benefit from her expertise."The message was so right," Auxier said. "We were just honored that she could make it down here."Help is available for Indiana residents who want to quit smoking by calling the Indiana Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.