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Contact: Lynn Lauridsen,
(831) 464-3881
lynn@lauridsen.net
Or Andy Weisser,
(818) 703-6444
aweisser@earthlink.net
www.californialung.org
American Lung Association of California Launches Statewide Campaign to Warn Community Organizations About Tobacco Industry's Latest Campaign of Deception
Efforts include paid ads and release of tobacco industry documents exposing true reasons for big tobacco's "charitable" giving.
(Oakland, CA, August 30, 2000) — In an effort to counter the tobacco industry's latest attempts to manipulate public opinion, local tobacco control programs across California launched a campaign at news conferences today to discourage community organizations from accepting donations from tobacco companies. The American Lung Association of California coordinated this statewide effort.
At news conferences in Eureka, Fresno, Los Angeles, Oakland, Rancho Mirage, Sacramento, and San Diego, local health advocates pointed to Philip Morris' advertising and public relations campaign, highlighting its donations to reputable organizations as the best example of the tobacco industry's latest attempt to deceive the public and cover up its past.
"These donations allow the tobacco industry to hide behind the good names of organizations and attempt to buy their support on public policy issues," says Christine Bryant, Board Chair of the American Lung Association of California. "At the same time, the tobacco industry is attempting to manipulate public opinion in its favor and buy the public's respect by aggressively publicizing these donations."
In what promises to be the first of many activities designed to counter Philip Morris' campaign, local advocates revealed an ad appearing throughout California today in USA Today highlighting Philip Morris' attempt to steal the reputations of local organizations using its corporate giving. In addition to the ad campaign, health advocates unveiled a series of tobacco industry documents which show how the industry hopes to use charitable donations to drive a wedge between minority and women's organizations and the health community, influence elected officials and further its government relations agenda.
"The American Lung Association of California hopes this campaign will discourage organizations from accepting money from tobacco companies by exposing the tobacco industry's motives and what it expects in return for its donations," said Bryant. "We need to alert our community that the tobacco industry is up to its same old tricks," she said. "This time it is trying to buy the reputations of our well-respected organizations for cash. Philip Morris will donate money to organizations in exchange for the use of their good names, hoping to become connected to, identified with and even confused with the organizations in our community that provide the services we need and support."
By publicizing their financial support of community groups, tobacco companies hope to make community leaders and policymakers believe that they have changed and are looking out for the community's best interest notes Thomas Bauer, an American Lung Association of California volunteer. Mr. Bauer, whose mother recently died after battling lung cancer, is insulted by the Philip Morris ads stating they help the community. "Philip Morris is attempting to portray themselves as the company working for the good of the public. The reality is that Phillip Morris and the other cigarette manufacturers are working for personal and corporate profit at the expense of millions of lives all over the world."
Several community organizations have already said "no" to tobacco money. One agency helping victims of domestic violence, Humboldt Women for Shelter, turned down an opportunity to apply for a $25,000 grant from Philip Morris and hosted one of today's news conferences highlighting their action. "We cannot sit back and allow tobacco companies to believe that our reputations can be bought for them to use," said Regina Kerns, shelter services coordinator. "We support the American Lung Association of California's effort to work closely with local tobacco control programs and community agencies to create a network of informed organizations that refuse to be the pawns in the tobacco industry's public relations game."
For more information about the American Lung Association of California's efforts to counter the tobacco industry's corporate giving campaign, please contact Lynn Lauridsen at (831) 464-3881 or lynn@lauridsen.net. The website for the American Lung Association of California is www.californialung.org.
This material was made possible by funds from the Tobacco Tax Health Protection Act—Proposition 99, through the California Department of Health Services, under contract #99-85067, the Communications Assistance Project.
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