

Photo courtesy of Neu Life Community Development
Last year, Milwaukee PrideFest took a stand against Big Tobacco by no longer accepting tobacco industry sponsorship money. In the past, they had allowed the promotion of cheap menthol cigarettes on festival grounds, but luckily they no longer allow it. The tobacco industry first started targeting the LGBTQ community in the 1990s through what they called “Project SCUM” which stood for Sub-Culture Urban Marketing.
We think it’s important to raise awareness about tobacco industry tactics to gain new customers. Every year, 2,600 Wisconsin teens become new daily smokers, and most teens say they wouldn’t try smoking or vaping if the products weren’t flavored like mint, candy, or fruit.
FACT is Wisconsin’s youth tobacco prevention movement. For more information, visit www.factmovement.com. To watch video stories about how tobacco addiction impacts the Milwaukee LGBTQ community, visit http://bit.ly/tobaccofreepride.
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