Fighting Against Corporate Tobacco

Everyone Knows… Tobacco abuse is bad for you Cancer Heart disease Emphysema Cough Yellow teeth Smell

But…Teens Still Abuse Tobacco 17.7% of Wisconsin high schoolers are regular smokers Thats 57,200 teens! Almost 3.5 times the population of Sawyer County

So the BIG Question Is WHY? Peer pressure Parent(s)/Guardian(s) smoke Want to fit in/look cool Boredom

#1 Reason People Abuse Tobacco Is… BIG TOBACCO

We believe the products we make are not injurious to health. We always have and always will cooperate closely with those whose task it is to safeguard the public health. - Tobacco Industry Research Committee January 4, 1954 Studies of clinical data tend to confirm the relationship between heavy and prolonged tobacco smoking and incidence of cancer of the lung. (RJR memo 1953) There still isn't a single shred of substantial evidence to link cigarette smoking and lung cancer directly. (RJR public statement1954) Meet Big Tobacco

Evidence… is building up that heavy cigarette smoking contributes to lung cancer. (Philip Morris memo 1953 ) I'm unclear in my own mind whether anyone dies of cigarette smoking- related diseases." (Philip Morris CEO in trial testimony 1998 ) Meet Big Tobacco He also said he would "instantly" shut Philip Morris doors if it was proven to his that smoking causes cancer. Philip Morris now admits on their website that smoking causes cancer, but theyre still open for business.

Why Do They Do It? From the Mouth- of Philip Morris : Our one all-consuming ambition is to create wealth for the owners of Philip Morris. "

Why Teens? The earlier you start smoking, the more likely you are to become strongly addicted to nicotine. Teens are extremely brand-loyal. 88% of smokers started at or before age 18. Teens are more likely to ignore the future health consequences of their actions.

They Think You Are Stupid We dont smoke it. We just sell it. We reserve that for the YOUNG, the BLACK, the POOR, and the STUPID." Testimony of a former tobacco company employee quoting an executive

Meet Big Tobacco "It is important to know as much as possible about teenage smoking patterns and attitudes. Today's teenager is tomorrow's potential regular customer Philip Morris market research report on young smokers

We Dont Want Children to Smoke… We do not want children to smoke - - not only because it is illegal to sell cigarettes to minors in every state, but also because children lack the maturity of judgment to assess the health risks associated with smoking. Working for a Tobacco Company Reynolds American Tobacco Company, 2004

How They Get You Research – The tobacco industry studies you to learn exactly what you want and how to give it to you. Branding – The industry creates brands that appeal to teens. Advertising – They promote those brands anywhere and everywhere.

Branding Teens LOVE brands. Teens use brands to signal who they are. Brands say something about the people that own or use them. Marlboro is one of the most powerful brands ever created.

Branding McDonalds

Branding Facebook

Branding Target

Branding Apple

Branding bp

Branding Coach

Branding Levis

Branding Monster

Branding Merrill Lynch

Branding

Big Tobacco Marketing Budget Apple, Inc. made 8.24 billion dollars in profits in 2009 Thats nothing…Big Tobacco spent over $12.8 billion in just their advertising Thats over 35 million dollars per day

Big Tobacco in WI Big Tobacco spends an estimated $274,000,000 in advertising in WI alone! That could buy a iPhone 5 for EVERYONE under the age of 18 in WI

Big Tobacco Marketing

Other Tobacco Products

How They Keep You Tobacco products uniquely contain and deliver nicotine, a potent drug with a variety of physiological effects." 1972 RJR research and planning memo

How They Keep You The tobacco industry treats nicotine as a drug and adds ammonia to speed inhaled nicotine to the brain. Between 1998 and 2004 Big Tobacco increased nicotine levels in cigarettes by over 10% 2006 Massachusetts Department of Public Health study

Lies, Lies, Lies, Lies Big Tobacco once said: Cigarettes are no more addictive than Twinkies

Tobacco Death Toll in WI

Fighting Back With FACT Youth-led movement –5,000+ members Not a Dont smoke campaign Taking action through FACTivism Not against smokers Countering Big Tobaccos marketing Reversing Big Tobaccos deadly trends

Fighting Big Tobacco in WI FACT + activism = FACTivism Activism: Any action that seeks to bring about change Your are a FACTivist!

Making a Message Stick Getting Attention Making a Connection Providing Information

FACTivism

FACT Has Made An IMPACT! Helped decrease youth smoking rate from 33% (in 01) to 17% (in 09) Instrumental in making WI smoke-free Advocated for cigarette tax increases Empowered thousands of WI teens

The Fight Isnt Over Big Tobaccos new products may smell and look like candy but they are far from it!

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If Nothing Happens…They Win

Reverse the Trend Fight with FACT