Vine Stars Debunk Social Smoking Myths With truth® [VIDEOS]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Vine stars have an important message: no matter how much or how little you smoke, Big Tobacco gets paid every time you light up, so don't get played! Logan Paul, Christian DelGrosso, Allicattt and Jerry Purpdrank have teamed up with the award-winning truth® campaign to produce a series of 15-second advertisements to spread truth's life-saving messages to a teen audience.

Social smoking — e.g. only smoking with friends, only smoking on the weekend, or just lighting up at parties — is not a casual or harmless activity. Every puff is dangerous and addictive: half of teens who try cigarettes in college are still smoking four years later. In the ads, Logan Paul, Christian DelGrosso, Allicattt and Jerry Purpdrank debunk popular myths surrounding social tobacco smoking that can lead teens and young adults to underestimate the dangers of light or intermittent smoking. The new video series - Big Tobacco Be Like - will debut during the season finale of "Fear the Walking Dead" and the premiere of "The Walking Dead", which will air on October 4 and 11 respectively.

"Whether they're saying it out loud or not, some people are often the 'I only smoke when I drink' or 'I don't smoke alone' types," said Jerry Purpdrank. "But, just like we point out in the videos, every time you light up, whether you bought that pack or not, you're helping put cash in the pockets of Big Tobacco."

"I've seen firsthand the dangerous effects of tobacco and I know that a lot of young people still think smoking is a casual and harmless activity," said Allicattt. "I wish teens understood that even alternative and seemingly "harmless" forms of tobacco, like hookah or flavored cigars, are still bad for you. There are so many marketing ploys out there to make us believe that these are okay for us to consume, but in reality, it's still smoking and all smoking is harmful." 

Since the launch of the truth campaign in 2000, teen cigarette use has dropped from 23 percent to just eight percent. In recent years however, teen smoking as a whole has remained static due to the use of emerging products like hookah. These newest videos are part of truth's Finish It campaign that empowers smokers and nonsmokers alike to make this the generation that ends tobacco use by giving teens the facts, sharing progress in the fight against the tobacco epidemic and providing tools that teens can use to creatively combat Big Tobacco on their own. Big Tobacco Be Like follows the debut of It's A Trap, which premiered on the broadcast of the MTV Video Music Awards and introduced the dangerous realities of social smoking. It's a Trap has already been viewed more than 51 million times, and teens are encouraged to keep sharing that ad along with the new Big Tobacco Be Like videos with #BigTobaccoBeLike. You can find more opportunities to help #FinishIt by following the truth campaign @truthorange.

"We love working with Viners like Logan, Christian, Allicattt and Jerry because they become our co-creators and co-directors," said Eric Asche, chief marketing officer at Truth Initiative. "They understand how to connect with youth and, knowing they personally feel strongly about this generation ending smoking keeps their message authentic."

The Finish It campaign and new video series,  Big Tobacco Be Like,  was created by Truth Initiative and truth's agency of record 72andSunny. Media planning and buying for the Finish It campaign and new video series,  Big Tobacco Be Like,  is handled by Assembly, truth's media agency of record. Both agencies are part of MDC Partners.

About truth 
truth® is the most successful and longest running national youth smoking prevention campaign. The campaign exposes the tactics of the tobacco industry, the truth about addiction, and the health effects and social consequences of smoking. truth gives teens the facts to make their own informed choices about tobacco use and inspires them to use their social influence and creativity in the fight against tobacco. The campaign is credited with preventing hundreds of thousands of teens from starting to smoke and is working to make this the generation that ends smoking for good. To learn more, visit thetruth.com. truth is part of Truth Initiative, a national public health organization dedicated to achieving a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco. To learn more about their work speaking, seeking and spreading the truth about tobacco, visit truthinitiative.org. 

Video - https://youtu.be/bfBAf-Jg-aU
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101101/DC86294LOGO

SOURCE Truth Initiative