Concertgoers at the daylong Vans Warped Tour at Tinley Park’s First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre on Saturday learned about the dangers of smoking that were presented in an entertaining style by workers with The Truth, an organization that tries to persuade people to not smoke. The Truth sets up shop wherever the tour visits. Saturday was Tinley Park, Sunday is Minnesota.
At each stop, workers try to get their message out by handing out free anti-smoking items after fun contests. Their target audience is ages 12 to 24. According to a 2009 study by the American Cancer Society, 5 percent of middle school students and 20 percent of high school students smoke. Not many smokers were seen Saturday. The curious who stopped at The Truth van engaged in dancing contests, a “Newlywed Game” style question-and-answer session or games of hot potato.
“They have fun, they get something free, and they learn something,” Truth worker Jocelyn Cruz, of suburban Cleveland, said. “We’re not preachy. We just want to let them know what they’re getting into if they start smoking. We’re not anti-smoker.
We’re anti-smoking,” Cruz said. Items like the black hat bearing the word “SCUM” in large colorful letters should catch a few eyes. That’s based on a mid-1990s marketing campaign in which a cigarette manufacturer tried to boost sales by targeting inner-city gays and homeless people, Cruz said. “They called their plan Project SCUM, Sub Cultural Urban Marketing. It’s horrible. We take the dirty facts the tobacco companies have used and we bring the facts to people so they can understand our message,” said Cruz, whose grandfather, a smoker, died of lung cancer.
One of those who stopped by was Sterling Lev, 17, of Streamwood. He wore a banana costume he once wore while drumming with his band, Saving Haven. Lev won a hot potato contest that started with 20 people trading a large bean bag until one person remained.
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