Joint ASH / Cancer Research Campaign press release

 

Press release      Embargo:10th October 2000 10:00am (UK)

 

Keep tobacco industry away from kids - new report revealstobacco giants' sinister PR strategy on youth smoking

 

Tobacco companies such as BAT andPhilip Morris are guilty of a sickening fraud over teenage anti-smokinginitiatives.  Companies have adopted apublic posture of opposition to teenage smoking and even funded anti-smokinginitiatives for teenagers.  But an investigationby ASH and The Cancer Research Campaign has revealed that this is no more than a sinister and cynical public relationsstrategy.  The purpose is to fend offmeaningful restrictions on tobacco advertising and gain PR advantage, whileproposing only measures that are unlikely to reduce youth smoking and likelymake it more attractive by positioning cigarettes as an adult product andsmoking as rebellious.

 

The report "" [1] releasesinternal tobacco industry documents, focus group testing and academic researchwith three main findings:

3.

 

The isattached. 

 

Professor Gordon McVie, Directorof the London-based Cancer Research Campaign is furious: “Teenage smoking isessential to the tobacco industry, without it they would just wither and die.They never support anything that would work but push the measures that are morelikely to fail or even increase smoking.”

 

Clive Bates of ASH in Londonsays: “When you look at what they say privately, and compare it to their publicposturing, the whole idea that tobacco companies might be working againstteenage smoking is revealed as sinister self-serving public relations.  The more they try to define smoking as onlyfor adults, the more they are saying ‘hey kids, smoking's for grown-ups' with asly nod and a cynical wink.”

 

The Cancer Research Campaign andASH is calling for the tobacco companies to cease all youth smoking initiativesimmediately.  Professor McVie adds:“Anyone whose job in life is selling cigarettes should never be allowed nearteenagers ­ you just can't trust them with truth, and you can't trust them withyoung people.”

 

On the eve of negotiations overthe WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the two organisations warngovernments around the world not to be seduced by tobacco industry propagandaabout youth smoking.

 

Clive Bates of ASH said: “Theycome at developing country governments with a seductive package of responsiblesmoking, reasonable marketing and money to burn ­ but what they  really want is to head off any meaningfulregulation or health policy. Governments that fall into this trap and co-operate or join forces withBAT or Philip Morris are basically handing over their young people toaddiction, misery and early death at the hands of the tobacco industry.

 

“One notable finding was that BATand Philip Morris placed great emphasis on the role of parents, teachers,health educators, governments and companies. But they failed to mention the importance of aspirational role modelssuch as Formula One drivers, actors and pop-stars in the promotion ofcigarettes.

 

“It's blatantly obvious, theywant to associate the anti-smoking message with parents, teachers and other‘boring' representatives of adult authority, but reserve the people that make adifference like racing drivers and other celebrities for promoting smoking,”Bates added.

 

Professor McVie challenged PhilipMorris and BAT to make their superstars available for anti-smokinginitiatives.  Philip Morris sponsors theMarlboro Ferrari F1 team with Michael Schumacher as the lead driver, andJacques Villeneuve is the key star of BAT's British American Racing team.  

 

“If they cared about youthsmoking at all, they would be funding massive TV advertising campaignsfeaturing Schumacher and Villeneuve, and leaving the content and message togenuine professionals who know how to make anti-smoking commercials that reducesmoking, rather than encourage it,” said Professor McVie.

 

[Notes]

[1] The full report [PDF version] is available at http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_625.pdf 

 

Press Contacts:

The Cancer Research Campaign:

Press Office +44(0)20 7487 3768 ISDN available

 

ASH:

Clive Bates /Amanda Sandford +44(0)20 7739 5902 (w) +44 (0)468 791 237 (m)ISDN available