Reality Check

What is Reality Check?

REALITY CHECK (RC) is a youth led, adult supported tobacco control movement committed to exposing the truth about the manipulative marketing strategies used by the tobacco industry to target teens. The youth action component of the New York State Bureau of Tobacco Control Program, Reality Check has been in existence since 2001. Since then, youth from all over New York have worked hard to educate their peers, parents, legislators, community members and key decision makers on the tobacco industry’s manipulative marketing practices and how they target youth to become replacement smokers.

When did it start?

Reality Check started in 2001 after state attorneys general forged a Master Settlement Agreement with key companies in the tobacco industry. Big tobacco promised to stop advertising to teenagers.
Broken promises led teens at a youth summit to form Reality Check and design the Reality Check logo. Then clubs sprang up across New York state where teens host movie nights and collect signatures for legislative changes.
Teens learn to be outspoken and articulate as they teach other teens to be savvy consumers, particularly when confronted with smoking images in movies and magazines.

How is Reality Check funded?

Our local program is funded through a series of grants administered by the New York Department of Health which accepted the tobacco settlement money to create this statewide program.