PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare, marketers of Nicorette(R) nicotine gum, has joined together with CORA Services to celebrate and encourage smoke-free lives with MyCityMyArt, an educational program designed to reach-out to the African-American population about the dangers of smoking. The program -- which includes an art competition, art lessons for children and a virtual art gallery to display their work -- will kickoff in five major U.S. cities this week.
Pose2, a professional commercial artist in Philadelphia, will create a quit-smoking themed mural at 12th & Carpenter St. that will become part of a nationwide competition against four other artists in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. The murals from the five cities will be posted online at www.mycitymyart.com for the public to view and vote for the best mural. The winning artist will be announced in October 2005 and will unveil his design at a prominent location in his home city.
As part of the program, Pose2 will help lead an art class with children from CORA Services to enlist them to create their own creative quit-smoking themed art. Mural designs created by the children will be posted on the Web site, and GSK Consumer Healthcare will donate $7,500 to support CORA Services' art program. Additionally, each child will also receive two color prints of his or her artwork to keep as an important reminder.
"MyCityMyArt is great for the community on two levels, said CORA Services CEO, Dr. Anthony Chunn. "Our kids are exposed to the insights and skills of a professional artist while they also get a smoking prevention message, in addition, adult smokers who want to quit can learn about effective help that is available through various MyCityMyArt educational resources."
"Urban murals have previously been used by the tobacco industry to market their products, so we think it's about time we used this vehicle to help the community," said GSK Consumer Healthcare's Vice-President, Smoking Control, Bill Slivka. "MyCityMyArt is part of our commitment to helping people tap into their inner strength. For many quitters, quitting is a process measured by the little things that help end their relationship with cigarettes. One of these murals or an email with a child's design may inspire a smoker to think about quitting." Research has shown that African-Americans suffer disproportionately from chronic and preventable disease from smoking, with smoking being the leading cause of death among African-Americans.(1) According to the 1998 U.S. Surgeon General Report, African Americans are 50 percent more likely to develop lung cancer than Caucasian men.(2)
"The MyCityMyArt program delivers the kind of positive, pro-health activity and message we want to be spreading to African-American youth," said Rev. Jesse W. Brown, Jr., executive director of the National Association of African Americans for Positive Imagery. "Unfortunately, the inner city is still an important marketplace for cigarette manufacturers, as they must constantly find new users for their products."
MyCityMyArt aims to help educate the community and smokers about being prepared for the challenges of quitting smoking. Many quitters are not aware that success is much more likely when the person quitting seeks support and uses clinically proven products such as Nicorette(R) nicotine gum. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare's quit-smoking products and their related Web sites have a wealth of information about quitting smoking for adults. The art lessons will also include information for the children about the risks of smoking and what they can do to keep from starting the deadly habit.
"CORA Services is excited to be part of any project that raises awareness of the support available to help people to quit smoking, and that enriches our children's awareness of art and better health. The fewer smokers there are in the community, the more opportunities there are to provide good role models for our children," he added.
The five professional murals can be viewed online and judged by the public at www.mycitymyart.com, starting, August 22nd. The same web site features galleries of the children's art and includes options to send your favorite mural designs to friends and family.
About CORA Services
CORA is a community based, nonprofit, multi-funded agency offering professional human services to children, youth, and their families in the Greater Philadelphia area. Its mission is to enrich the quality of life for children, families and the community by offering programs that promote respect and dignity. Rooted in a tradition of care and compassion, CORA was established in 1971 to respond to the ever-increasing challenges of the community. Consistent with this heritage, CORA pursues the highest possible standards in service to our community. CORA's commitment is to evoke creativity, new perspectives, empowerment and hope in the lives of the children and families it serves.
About GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is one of the world's largest over- the-counter consumer healthcare products companies. Its more than 30 well- known brands include the leading smoking cessation products, Nicorette(R), NicoDerm(R) and Commit(R), as well as many medicine cabinet staples, Abreva(R), Aquafresh(R), Sensodyne(R) and Tums(R). GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare continues to develop innovative products to help all smokers find their best support system and achieve their goal of being cigarette free.
About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare companies. GlaxoSmithKline is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
(1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At-A-Glance. Tobacco Use
Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups - African Americans, American
Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and
Hispanics, Atlanta: CDC, 1998.
(2) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Tobacco Use Among U.S.
Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups - African Americans, American Indians
and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and
Hispanics: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 1998:138. Accessed on July 12, 2005 and available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_1998/index.htm.
SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline
CONTACT: Rhys Ryan, Porter Novelli, +1-917-709-9326, rhys.ryan@porternovelli.com; Jennifer May, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, +1-412-200-3729, Jennifer.l.may@gsk.com
© PR Newswire
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