YOUTH DEMONSTRATION
April 28, 2005

By TERRY RINDFLEISCH La Crosse Tribune

Four La Crosse high school students will get a chance to take on Big Tobacco face-to-face next week.

They will be among more than 100 teens from across the country protesting and attending the annual stockholders' meeting of Altria, the parent company of tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris in East Hanover, N.J.

Three La Crosse Central students — Eva and Kielty Wintersteen and Molly Fitzpatrick — and Logan sophomore Amber Zabel will attend a day-long training on advocacy April 27. Fitzpatrick and Kielty Wintersteen will join others in protesting outside at the meeting April 28, while Zabel, Eva Wintersteen and Judi Zabel have bought Altria stock and will attend
the annual meeting.

Judi Zabel, La Crosse County Health Department health educator, is taking the students to the event sponsored by Essential Action's Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control.

She is adviser for the La Crosse County Youth Advisory Council, a teen-led youth empowerment group that conducts activities and projects designed to help their peers make a more informed decision about tobacco use.

"This is a unique, first-hand experience for the kids to fight back against tobacco industry lies and manipulation and feel they can play a role in advocacy and protest," Judi Zabel said.

It is the first time La Crosse students have participated in the advocacy training and the Altria meeting, she said.

Amber Zabel and Eva Wintersteen are preparing three-minute speeches just in case they have a chance to speak at the stockholders' meeting.

"I want to ask why they target so many young people and kill so many people," Amber Zabel said.

Eva Wintersteen, a junior, said tobacco companies need to stop targeting young people.

"What angers me is they know who they are targeting — young people, minorities and the poor — and then they hook these people, who then become addicted and life-long customers," she said.

Fitzpatrick, a senior, said she is looking forward to learning more about advocacy and protesting.

"I like that I'm standing up for something I believe in, and I hope to have an impact," Fitzpatrick said.

The four students are part of a 28-member Wisconsin delegation. The health department sponsored a dance Friday for middle-school students at the Onalaska Omni Center to raise more money for the trip.

"I like that no matter how old you are," Eva Wintersteen said, "you do have a voice and a right so speak out."