The Romeo Observer - Romeo, Michigan: Northern Macomb County's weekly newspaper since 1866

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CURTIS OSTRANDER	DUAINE HARDING
ELEANOR TODD	ELMER "BUD" HAHN
GERVASE KILEY	MARIAN SUTTON
ORLO KIRKUM	SLAVA KOKOTOVICH
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LAWFUL REMINDER. Above, from left, Romeo High School seniors Krista VanSteenkiste and Amber Rottmann team up with Armada High School junior Callan Bobcean and senior Justin Visconti to inform a local business about state laws regarding tobacco sales. The law dictates certain stickers must be in plain view near the sales area.

(Observer photo by Chris Gray)

Students warn retailers
about teen tobacco sales

Also learn sobering facts
about tobacco deaths

by CHRIS GRAY
Observer Staff Writer

      Four nervous-looking students enter a gas station store and hand a folder labeled "Youth Tobacco Act" to a clerk, who at first doesn't seem too interested.
       But then an officer in uniform steps in right behind them. Needless to say, the students get the clerk's attention.
       They then explain the laws regarding the sale of tobacco to minors and cite facts about the risks of smoking. Just in case they missed anything, the officer reiterates what must be done to comply with tobacco selling laws.
       This was the scene that replayed in stores around Romeo, Richmond and Armada on Nov. 17, as 35 student volunteers and law enforcement officers participated in the annual Tobacco Retailer Project.
       "It was good to reinforce it," said Romeo High School junior Kaitlyn Krimmel after one such session. "A couple of the store people didn't look forward to talking with us, but some were happy."
       The project first began in 1994 when the Northwest Zero Tolerance Coalition, a group of parents, officers, school administrators and counselors wanted to get students involved in curtailing teen tobacco use in northern Macomb County.
       "It's an opportunity for students to connect with officers, and gives a heads-up to retailers to tell them we don't want you doing this," said Jamie Rossmann, Macomb Family Services substance abuse prevention specialist.
       Students and officers convened at Armada Senior High's auditorium to learn some important facts about the hazards of smoking as well as receiving an overview of what they would do once they hit the streets.
       Last year the project utilized distance learning technology, allowing students to stay at their respective schools and receive the briefings via video connections. However, communication problems prompted students to meet at one location.
       "We wanted the students to mingle," Rossmann said. "They already do with sports, but this way they can introduce themselves and see how other students did with the project."
       Ricki Phillips from the Macomb County Health Department's Tobacco Prevention Coalition provided the students with staggering numbers and health facts about smoking. She said more than 90 percent of adults start smoking at or before age 18, and 20 percent of current high school students are smokers.
       "Around 24.7 million packs of cigarettes are bought or smoked by kids every year, this is a huge problem," she said.
       Probably the most hard-hitting facts she told students were that 400,000 people in America die every year from tobacco products, which are more deaths per year than the combined deaths caused by AIDS, motor vehicle accidents, alcohol, illegal drugs and suicide.
       "They target kids, and what they call you guys are `replacement smokers,'" she said. "They know that people are going to quit or die off, and they'll need other people to buy their products."
       With these facts and more, Melissa DiPirro from Community Assessment Referral and Education (CARE) gave an overview of the project. Each group of students received folders to give to retailers, with information explaining the state laws as well as bright stickers that must be posted. They would then head out with an officer in a police cruiser and speak with managers or owners.
       Of the groups, three were sent to cover Romeo. One such group was made up of Romeo seniors Amber Rottmann and Krista VanSteenkiste, Armada senior Justin Visconti and junior Callan Bobcean.
       The group, escorted by Richmond Police Officer Robert Brazee, visited three retailers in Romeo. Clerks were attentive to them, with responses varying from uneasiness to curiosity.
       "I thought that it was a good experience because I don't think a lot of them are as educated on the law as they should be," said VanSteenkiste. "They should want to try and stop underage kids from buying."
       Bobcean said he was surprised when, at one retailer, he noticed a sticker explaining the law was covered up.
       "People might not know that it's actual law to have it up, so it's good they know now," he said.