Attention! Seekers Of Thrills, Waves, Music, And Knowledge: truth® Youth Smoking Prevention Campaign Kicks Off 2014 Annual Summer Tour

Attention! Seekers Of Thrills, Waves, Music, And Knowledge: truth® Youth Smoking Prevention Campaign Kicks Off 2014 Annual Summer Tour

Popular summer tour to make more than 100 stops, offering life-saving experiences

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Music lovers, surfers, thrill seekers and thousands of young people across the country will be able to experience the fun, potentially life-saving messages of the nation's largest youth smoking prevention tour. truth® begins its 14th annual summer tour on Friday, June 13 in Houston, Texas, with its first stop on the Vans Warped Tour. truth's crew of young adult "tour riders" will interact with teens and young adults across the country - providing them with facts and information about the marketing tactics of the tobacco industry and the health effects, addictiveness and social consequences of tobacco use.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7248451-truth-youth-smoking-prevention-campaign-kicks-off-2014-annual-summer-tour/

As part of a larger tour, truth will visit more than 50 cities and 25 states this summer, making more than 100 stops along the way. The tour will also participate in some new events and visit new cities. truth will partner with the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival - a heavy metal tour - for the first time. The campaign will also visit Music City as part of the Vans Warped Tour; its truth's first appearance ever in Nashville as part of that tour.

Two crews of tour riders will travel from June through August - one tour will be following the Vans Warped Tour for most of the summer, while the other will travel with the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. Both teams will participate in other events tied to music, sports, and gaming-related experiences - all common teenage passion points. Iconic orange "truth trucks" will appear at most tour stops. Trucks are rigged with a DJ booth and sound system, a dance floor, and more. At each stop, the truth "zone" will feature:


-- A fun and engaging activity space, including games, music, contests and
giveaways - allowing truth tour riders to discuss tobacco issues with
teens in a non-preachy way.
-- Social media games and shout-outs that encourage teens to learn and
share information with their friends
-- truth-branded "gear", including: T-shirts, hats, flip-flops, and
skateboard decks.
In the United States, 86% of adult smokers start smoking by age 18. Each year more than 480,000 Americans die from tobacco-related diseases, including cancers, heart disease, emphysema and stroke. The truth campaign aims to keep young people from ever trying to smoke in the first place. Touring is a key part of the campaign's strategy to speak directly to teens and young people who are most vulnerable to trying tobacco products.

"Last year, the truth tour reached an estimated two million teens and young adults, using fun and engaging experiences as a way to share vital health information," said Eric Asche, Chief Marketing Officer at Legacy, the national public health foundation that directs and funds the truth campaign. "The annual summer tour has been an effective tool to reach teens for the truth campaign from the beginning of our campaign 14 years ago. Our dynamic crew of tour riders share unique and memorable experiences with the teens and young adults at these events every day. It's our goal that each day on tour, people leave having had a good time at our tour truck and with our crew, but that they also leave with important messages about a deadly product."

Tour Events:

Music, gaming and sports are common passion points for teens and young people. Tour stops this year will include popular events relating to these typical youth interests. This year's crew of tour riders will appear at:


-- Vans Warped Tour - An annual summer music festival featuring upcoming
bands as well as more well-known rock and punk acts, including Anberlin,
We The Kings, and Mayday Parade.
-- Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival - Now in its seventh year, this
touring metal festival's attendance continues to grow; headliners for
this year's tour include Avenged Sevenfold and Korn.
-- Six Flags - The world's largest regional theme park company with 18
parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The truth crew is
appearing at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, CA; Six Flags Magic
Mountain in Valencia, CA; Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio; Six
Flags Over Texas in Arlington, TX ; Six Flags Great America in Gurnee,
IL; Six Flags St. Louis; Six Flags America in suburban Washington, DC;
and Six Flags New England in Agawam, MA.
-- Vans US Open of Surfing: The most prestigious pro surf/skate event in
North America, taking place in Huntington Beach, CA, from July 26-Aug 3.
-- Vans Presents the Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships - The
second longest running surf contest in the world, ECSC is considered by
many as the US Open of the East Coast. The event has evolved into a
youth culture gathering to witness pro and amateur surf contests,
skateboard demos, a BMX contest and live bands - all taking place over
the course of the event - from August 20-24 in Virginia Beach, VA.
-- Vans House Parties - a free summer series of music shows live from the
House of Vans in Brooklyn, NY.
-- Major League Gaming Championship: the global leader in eSports, largest
competitive video game league and competitive gaming broadcaster will
hold its Championship in Anaheim, CA, from June 20-22 featuring the
world's best video game players. Airing on www.MLG.tv.
thetruth.com and online

For the summer 2014 tour, 'virtual tour experiences' will be shared throughout truth's network of social media properties.


-- At the main site - www.thetruth.com - Teens can play games relating to
tobacco-related facts, and get free downloadable content.
-- Twitter contests - Throughout the summer truth will be giving away free
tickets to the Vans Warped Tour and Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem
Festival on @truthorange. Contests serve as another way to spark
dialogue between truth and anyone affected by the facts around tobacco
use.
-- truth(®) maintains a strong presence on social networks and profile
pages on Facebook (facebook.com/truthorange), YouTube
(YouTube.com/truthorange), Twitter (Twitter.com/truthorange), Pinterest
(Pinterest.com/truthorange), Tumblr (thetruthorange.tumblr.com) and
Instagram (@truthorange). truth's networks will all incorporate
tour-related elements, including photos from each of the distinct tour
events that will be posted throughout the summer.
truth Tour Zone and Riders 2014

Fashion, photography, acting, social media and social activism are just some of the passions of this year's class of dynamic truth tour riders. At each tour stop, tour riders function as 'masters of ceremonies' for activities at the truth truck designed to engage teens, providing an entree for one-on-one conversations and interactions for tobacco-related facts and messaging. At the truck, crew members hold karaoke challenges, fashion shows and dance contests; play trivia games; and distribute truth "gear" - fashionable and trendy items reflecting truth's messages. This year's gear will include t-shirts, hats, flip-flops, skateboard decks, and other items.

Returning truth tour rider Chelsee Warneke, from Oakland, CA, remembers attending concerts and visiting the big orange "truth truck" when she was younger. "I had a lot of really great experiences when I used to visit the truth zone at concerts and it inspired me to want to pass that message on to others. Now, as a tour rider, I get the opportunity every day to share my experience and passion for this cause with the next generation, and hopefully share some information that will help them make positive choices around tobacco use. Who knows? Maybe one day someone will go on to become a tour rider just like I did!"

This year's truth tour riders and their hometowns include:

Vans Warped Tour Riders:



Tour
Riders
2014: Hometown: Personal Detail:
------- --------- ----------------

Brooke Downingtown, PA A social media maven and active
Fitzgerald blogger who has been involved
with theater since the third
grade.
----------- --------------- --------------------------------

Shakon Atlanta, GA Loves fashion and music, and even
Fleming released a collection of his own
branded jogging pants.
-------- ----------- ---------------------------------

Graduated from Westminster
College with a degree in
Biology. Erin wants to be a part
of something that makes a
Erin Slay Middletown, MO difference in people's lives.
--------- -------------- ---------------------------------

Carley Experienced brand ambassador who
Sumner seeks to inspire women and
believes there is no better
purpose in life than to motivate
Miami, FL young adults.
------ --------- ---------------------------------

Armando Washington, DC Art school student now based in
Enriquez San Francisco. Skateboarder,
photographer, and trained in
Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
--------- -------------- --------------------------------

Chelsee Oakland, CA Returning truth tour rider.
Warneke Fashionista who works in the
technology industry in San
Francisco.
------- ----------- ----------------------------

Carlos Returning truth tour rider.
Zambrano Graduate of University of
California, Santa Barbara who
plans to go back to school for
his master's degree in film
Los Angeles, CA production.
--------- --------------- ------------------------------

DJ J.Dayz Brooklyn, NY Veteran truth tour DJ.
--------- ------------ ----------------------
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140306/DC77671LOGO-a
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140612/117456
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Video:http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7248451-truth-youth-smoking-prevention-campaign-kicks-off-2014-annual-summer-tour
Legacy for Health

CONTACT: Patricia McLaughlin, Legacy, 202-454 5560, pmclaughlin@legacyforhealth.org, Follow us on Twitter: @truthPR; Mickey Chagnon, Legacy, 202-454-5902, mchagnon@legacyforhealth.org

Web Site: http://www.thetruth.com


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