June 30, 2004

Contacts:
Brian Peterson, 530.897.4140, brian@chico.com
Paul Knepprath, 916.442.4446, pknepprath@alac.org
Andrew Weisser, 818.703.6444, aweisser@earthlink.net
www.californialung.org

New Report Shows Tobacco Company Campaign Contributions to California Legislators

(June 30, 2004, Sacramento, CA): The nation's largest makers of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco continue their long-standing tradition of contributing to the election campaigns of sitting lawmakers. According to the American Lung Association of California's Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing, 58 State Legislators have taken a total of $317,087 toward their campaigns from a tobacco company or their subsidiary during the 2003-2004 campaign election cycle.

"The tobacco industry contributes to the campaigns of sitting office holders in order to influence tobacco-related policy and we want the public to know if their elected representatives take tobacco money," said Brian Peterson, Project Director for the Center for Tobacco Policy & Organizing.

The connection between tobacco industry money and favorable votes on industry-friendly legislation is not always clear.  Peterson notes, however,  "if the public wants to hold lawmakers accountable for supporting or opposing legislation that protects our children from tobacco and promotes healthy lifestyles, they need to know who has taken tobacco industry money and who has not."

The data released includes those contributions from the first quarter of 2004 (January 1 through March 31, 2004) as well as the combined totals for previous two-year election cycles. Therefore the most current results are only partial including years 2003-2004 and are now available online. Data is updated as the election cycle progresses.

This data is interactively accessed on the Center's website. By simply entering their zip code at www.californialung.org/thecenter, individuals will receive a report that includes how much money, if any, their local Assembly and state Senate representatives received from the major tobacco companies.

Two other areas the tobacco industry attempts to influence lawmakers includes donations to political action committees, or PACs, and direct lobbying expenses. PACs received $493,000 since 2003 from the tobacco industry lobbying expenditures so far total $1,540,184.

The Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing is an American Lung Association of California grant funded by Proposition 99, the Tobacco Tax Health Protection Act of 1988, under grant number 99-85066 with the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section. If you have more questions, please contact Brian Peterson, at (916)442-4299 or brian@chico.com

The American Lung Association has long funded vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. It is the foremost defender of the Clean Air Act and laws that protect citizens from secondhand smoke. The Lung Association teaches children the dangers of tobacco use and helps teenage and adult smokers overcome addiction. It educates children and adults living with lung diseases, including asthma, emphysema and tuberculosis, on managing their condition. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time." For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or visit www.californialung.org.