While the wind and rain blew through Capitol Hill on Saturday afternoon, people were scouring the neighborhood, aiming to fight tobacco with the power of digital media. Armed with digital cameras in hand, approximately ten members and supporters of Entre Hermanos spent the afternoon capturing evidence of tobacco marketing and consumption in Capitol Hill. The result was dozens of images of people smoking, hardly noticeable “no smoking signs,” and piles of cigarette butts strewn about sidewalks, roads, and parks. In a wrap-up session after the scavenger hunt, participants were said to have valued the activity because it called attention to the influence of tobacco products which has become so widespread and commonplace that it goes largely unnoticed.
The photographs from the scavenger hunt are part of Entre Hermanos’ initiative Mapping Our Voices for Equality (M.O.V.E.), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Public Health of Seattle and King County. The goal of M.O.V.E. is to promote physical activity and reduce tobacco use and marketing. The community map will launch online in September 2011.
Entre Hermanos is a non-profit organization based in Capitol Hill that strives to support the well-being of Seattle’s Latino lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual and queer (LGBTQ) community. One of the many issues Entre Hermanos focuses on is anti-tobacco initiatives, particularly those aimed at Latinos, who the group says are more likely to take up smoking, and LGBTQ youth. For more information on anti-tobacco initiatives put on by Entre Hermanos, get in touch with Martha Zúñiga at [email protected], or stop by the main office at 1505 Broadway, near Tully’s.
Sound like a good fact finding project. but, I wonder if they are taking pictures of people who deserve privacy. Some how getting the statistics seems fine. Getting the butt count, where are the no smoking signs, what about who sells cigs, any no smoking messages – all that is great.
Ordinary people on the streets have some expectations to have the quiet enjoyment of their lives, smokers or not. Latino or black or caucasian, privacy matters.
Absolutely, we reviewed privacy issues/ethics in the workshop and anyone who wanted to take a photo of a person asked permission, some were granted, some denied. Thanks for raising point!
Anyone in a public place may be photographed without permission.
…. sure, we all know that. A service project strives to a higher standard.
And it seems, this group has set some standards. Great.
The overall incidence of smoking among Americans is something like 20% these days, but my impression is that it is much higher among residents of Capitol Hill. Why, I wonder? ?Stress. It is no longer considered “cool” to smoke, so that can’t be the reason.
Both my parents died of COPD/emphysema after years of heavy smoking. It is a horrible way to die, and it is almost an inevitability for life-long-smokers. I wish young people knew this, but of course they don’t think it will happen to them.
Actually it’s not an inevitability to die from smoking. You could get hit by a bus. Or, in this city, if you’re not white, shot by a cop.
This type of preachy scare-tactic bullshit is exactly what doesn’t work against people who smoke.
Smoking is a personal choice. You’ll never be able to eradicate all messages to smoke in society in your lifetime, and you’ll never be able to convince everyone who smokes to stop. Make the choice for yourself and proceed to shut the fuck up about it.
Drinking at the level your average Hill resident does is probably just as bad for you. Where’s the anti-drinking squad taking pictures of drunk college kids?
Maybe I should take pictures of people going through fast food drive throughs and claim the moral high ground?
Bunch of hypocritical idiots…
@Alberto – “Ordinary people on the streets have some expectations to have the quiet enjoyment of their lives, smokers or not.”
The courts have routinely ruled that there is absolutely no right to privacy in a public space, thus the explosion of surveillance cameras, red light traffic cameras, police dashboard cams, and so on. These rulings have allowed news broadcasters to film whatever they want, and (less consistently) to protect protesters filming the actions of police and security personnel.
OFD – Yes, anyone in a public place may be photographed without permission. However, a private group, individual, organization, etc, can be liable for rights of publicity violations if they do not obtain permission and later publish the photograph.
Obviously you haven’t had two parents die of smoking-caused lung disease.