By: Ashmar Mandou
Truth, the nation’s largest smoking prevention campaign for youth, and Vans Warped Tour came to Chicago Saturday, July 9 to give youth the tools needed to make informed choices about smoking to a crowd of teenagers at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. Part of the tour included ‘Truth Tour Riders’ who engaged with teens by sharing personal accounts of how tobacco affected their lives. “I am really grateful to have this opportunity to spread the message about what tobacco can really do,” said Maria Venegas, Truth Tour Rider. “A lot of young people just don’t know the actual facts.”
For Venegas, the topic is dear to her heart. Nine months ago, Venegas’ younger brother was diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer that breaks down the immune system. The conditioned rapidly worsened and just a few months ago Venegas’ brother lost his battle. “There were no smokers in our family. His condition was brought on by secondhand smoke,” said Venegas. “As difficult as it is to talk about, I know people can relate to my story because most often they have a family member who is ill. So it makes the whole experience a therapeutic one for everyone involved.” In the U.S., about 50,000 people die each year from secondhand smoke-related diseases.
According to research revealed by Truth, nearly 15 percent of Latinos smoke in the United States. More than percent of Hispanic middle school students and more than 19 percent of Hispanic high school students smoke. And about 18 percent of youth in Illinois smoke. “I always tell youth, tobacco kills more Americans than AIDS, car accidents, murder, suicide, drugs, and fires combined,” said Venegas. “They need to hear the facts in order to make healthier choices in life.”
Truth, launched in February 2000 by Legacy, a national public health foundation created to help youth from smoking and helping smokers to quit. Each year, Truth Tour travels to cities across the country to promote healthy life choices. Last year, Truth Tour reached more than 500,000 teens across the country. To learn more about smoking prevention and facts, visit www.TheTruth.com.
