News Release
October 2003
(Bethlehem, PA.)— National media literacy expert Dr. Peter DeBenedittis
will present “Seduce Me: Blow Away the Ashes,” an entertaining
program exposing the manipulative tactics used by tobacco companies
to market their products, on Wednesday, October 15 at 7 p.m. in Prosser
Auditorium at Moravian College. The program is hosted by Moravian College
in conjunction with Coalition for a Smoke-Free Valley, the Pennsylvania
Department of Health, and American Legacy Foundation. Admission is
free and the lecture is open to the public; reservations are encouraged
for groups of six or more.
DeBenedittis is recognized as one of America’s
leading experts on media literacy and tobacco advertising. In his
powerful and often
life-altering presentation, DeBenedittis focuses on tobacco prevention,
body image, and corporate manipulation. He teaches about media literacy
and reveals the many ways in which marketers target college campuses.
DeBenedittis has presented at four national conferences on tobacco
and health and is a consultant for the CDC Office on Smoking and Health
and the National Cancer Institute. He has trained thousands of teachers,
prevention specialists, and health promotion workers across the country.
Before becoming a speaker and educator, DeBenedittis worked with the
New Mexico Media Literacy Project.
Using state-of-the-art multimedia deconstructions,
DeBenedittis educates while entertaining—on the topics of tobacco
prevention, underage and binge drinking, violence prevention, eating
disorders, body image,
parenting around media, and consumerism.
Having previously run an ad agency for 10 years, DeBenedittis
now uses his advertising knowledge to educate for prevention rather
than
seduce for profits. He was featured in a recent episode of the CBS
new magazine 48 Hours for his work teaching media literacy.
For more information or to make reservations, please call the Coalition
for a Smoke-Free Valley at (610) 402-4855.
