Lorillard
Remarks by Secretary Joseph A. Califano Jr. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to the Youth Conference, the National Interagency Council on Smoking and Health San Francisco, California 790426
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- Author
- Califano, J.A., J.R.
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- CHAR, CHART/GRAPH
- SPCH, SPEECH/PRESENTATION
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- Bw, Brown & Williamson
- Hew, Dept of Health Education and Welfare
- National Education Assn
- Natl Assn of Art Educators
- Natl Center for Health Statistics
- Natl Institute of Education
- Natl Interagency Council on Smoking
- NCI, Natl Cancer Inst
- United Nations
- US
- Ymca
- Ywca
- American Federation of Teachers
- Hew, Dept of Health Education and Welfare
- Named Person
- Bayh, M.
- Landers, A.
- Longest
- Mahlman, J.
- Mccarty, C.I.
- Parker, B.
- Redin, W.
- Surgeon General
- Terry, L.
- Landers, A.
- Document File
- 03745010/03745447/Hew's Anti Smoking Campaign Vol 1 2 790100 - 790523.
- Date Loaded
- 05 Jun 1998
- Request
- R1-004
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- Hew, Dept of Health Education and Welfare
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- 03745010/5826
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NOT FflR PLIPLI C4TI M OR BROADCAST KRRF
1.;1 P,M,, E,S,T,, T!-umDaY, APRIL ?F. 1979
REMARKS BY
SECRETARY JOSEPH A. CALIFANO, JR.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
To THE YOUTH CONFERENCE,
THE NATIONAL INTERAGENCY-COUNCIL ON SMOKING AND HEALTH
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
APRIL 26, 1979
C (;
THANK YOU, DR, TERRY. DR. LONGESTi MEM3ERS OF THE
INTERAGEItCY COUN'CIL, DELEGATES TO TH'IS CONFERENCE:
IT IS ESPECIALLY FITTIN'G, IN THIS UN'ITED NATIONS#
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE CHILD, THAT YOU SHOULD GIVE
SPECIAL ATTENTION AT THIS CONFERENCE TO THE QUESTION
OF SMOKING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE.
IT IS A SUBJECT, AS YOU KNOW, THAT CONCERNS ME DEEPLY,
ESPECIALLY IN THIS YEAR THAT WE AT HEWHAVE TARGETED AS THE
YEAR OF PREVENTION. THE VERY ESSENCE OF A STRATEGY OF
DISEASE PREVENTION IS TO BEGI~N WITH YOUNG PEOPLE,
SO I AM GLAD~TO JOIN YOU HERE.
IT HAS BEEN JUST FIFTEEN MONTHS AND A FEW'DAYS SINCE
I SPOKE TO ANOTHER MEETING SPONSORED BY THE INTERAGENCY
COUNCIL ON SMOKING AND HEALTH.
I WAS INTRODUCED ON THAT DAY ALSO BY DR, LUTHER TERRY, THE
MAN WHO, AS SURGEON GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1964,
RELEASED TO THE WORLD THE FIRST MAJOR REPORT ON SMOKING
AND HEALTH.
, ON THAT DAY, AS YOU REMEMBER, DR. TERRY, I PLEDGED1
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEW TO A NEW, INTENSIFIED
NATIONAL EFFORT TO ADVANCE THE PUBLIC HEALTH~--BY TACKLING
THE PROBLEM OF CIGARETTE-RELATED DISEASE AirD DEATH, THROUGH
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH',
A GREAT DEAL HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN--MUCH OF IT GOOD
NEWS FOR THE FUTURE HEALTH OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE$
I HAVE COME TO SAN FRANCISCO THIS MORNING TO DO~THREE
THINGS:
FIRST, TO UNDERSCORE FOR YOU AND THE
NATION AN IMPORTANT FACT: THAT THE EFFORT TO
INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT SMOKING AND HEALTH'DOES
WORKI
I
SECOND, 'TO ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS OF A MAJOR
NEW STUDY OF SMOKING AMONG CHILDREN AND TEEIl'-
AGERS IN AMERICA: A STUDY THAT IS ONE OF THE
FRUITS OF OUR STEPPED-UP RESEARCH$
r
3
C
0
s ~AND FINALLY, TO CALL UPON THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY
TO JOIN THE EFFORT TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF
CH'I LDREN.
LET ME BEUIN BY SHARING wITH'YOU TW0 STRIKING NEW.
FACTS -- FACTS WHICH DRAMATIZE HOW MANY AMERICAN SMOKERS
EARNESTLY WANT TO.BREAK FREE OF SMOKING, AND HOW HARD IT
IS FOR THEM TO DO ITS
THE FIRST FACT: NEW RESEARCH DATA FROM THE NATIONAL
CENTER FOR HEALTN STATISTICS, TELLS US THAT ROUGHLY
17 MILLION PEOPLE--FULLY 31 PERCENT OF THE NATION'S 54 MILLION
SMOKERS°-TRIEi1 TO QUIT SMOKING LAST YEAR. THIS DOES NOT
INCLUDE THE MILLIONS MORE WHO WOULD LIKE TO QUIT, BUT WHO
DID NOT MAKE AN ACTUAL EFFORT LAST YEAR. WHEN WE COUNT BOTH
GROUPS, WE ESTIMATE THAT 90 PERCENT OF CURRENT SMOKERS WOULD
LIKE TO QUIT,
r
-
C
THESE NUMBERS CARRY AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE.
ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE FACING THE CHOICE TO SMOKE
OR NOT TO SMOKE. THE MESSAGE IS THAT MOST PEOPLE, ONCE
THEY BEGIN SMOKING, FEEL TRAPPED: THEY WISH THEY HAD
NEVER STARTED.
THE SECOND FACT TELLS US HOW MANY OF THESE 17
MILLION WOULD-BE QUITTFRS, BY THEIR OWN,ACLOUNT. FEEL
THAT THEIR EFFORT WAS A SUCCESS, HOW MANY? OUT OF
17 MILLION, 3,5 MILLION COUNTED THEMSELVES
SUCCESSFUL,
THAT SECOND NUMBER, TOO:, CARRIES A HEAVY
MESSAGE OF INTEREST TO YOUNG PEOPLE: CIGARETTE
SMOKING IS A DEADLY AND POWERFUL HABIT WHICH NOT
ONLY HARMS, BUT HOLDS$
C
TODAY WE KNOW'THAT CIGARETTE SMOKING IS '
INVOLVED IN 80,000 DEATHS EACH YEAR FROM LUNG CANCER;
22,000 DEATHS FROM OTHER CANCERS; Z2S.000'DEATHS EACH''
YEAR FROM HEART DISEASE AND STROKE; AND MORE THAN
Ig.O0i) DEATHS FROM CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE,
AND OUR STATISTICAL RESEARCH HAS YIELDED
. ..
ANOTHER NEW AND CHILLING FACT: A BOY WHO TAKES UP
SMOKING BEFORE AGE 35 AND CONTINUES T0~ SMOKE IS
ONLY HALF AS LIKELY TO LIVE TO AGE 75 AS A BOY
WHO NEVER SMOKES,
IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE CONCERNEIIABOUT SUCH
UNHAPPY FACTS --- NOT BECAUSE WE ARE ZEALOTS
THAT THOUSANDS OF PHYSICIANS AND EDUCATORS; MILLIONS
OF CITIZENS IN.VOLUNTARY HEALTH GROUPS. AND WE AT
HEW ARE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE --- ESPECIALLY YOUNG
PEOPLE --- MAKE AN INFORMED CHOI CE ABOUT SMOKI~NG
AND THEIR HEALTH.
C
6
HOW EFFECTIVE ARE OUR EFFORTS?
CERTAINLY. THE RESOURCES WE HAVE TO WORK WITH ARE
SMALL COMPARED TO THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF ADVERTISING
DOLLARS SPENT BY THE CIGARETTE INDUSTRY1
INDEED. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT INFORMATION
AND EDUCATION ARE NOT ENOUGH: THAT "MERE WORDS." TO USE
THEIR TERM. WILL NOT PERSUADE PEOPLE TO STOP SMOKING OR
NOT TO STARTS
IN FACT. WE ARE FINDING THAT EFFORTS LIKE OURS CAN
WORK -- AND DO WORKI THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR THEME
THAT I WANT TO SOUND: TODAY
CONSIDER THESE FACTS:
LAST JANUARY, WE RELEASED A NEW SURGEON GENERAL'S
REPORT ON SMOKING AND HEALTH. I REPORTED THEN TO THE
NATION THAT THERE ARE NOW PROPORTIONATELY FEWER ADULTS
IN OUR POPULATION WHO SMOKE THAN AT ANY TIME SINCE THE
GOVERNMENT BEGAN GATHERING THIS INFORMATION IN 19556
_7-
c
LAST YEAR ALONE. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DROP
IN TOTAL U. S. CIGARETTE CONSUMPTION FOR THE F_IRST
TIME IN TEN YEARS. AND CIGARETTE CONSUMPTION PER
. - PERSON IS AT ITS LOWEST LEVEL wZQ YEARS$
MEN HAVE BEEN QUITTING IN PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE
NUMBERS. IN 1965. MORE THAN HALF OF ADULT MEN WERE
.SMOKERS. BY 1976. THE PERCENTAGE HAD FALLEN TO 42
PERCENT. AND LAST YEAR.' THE PERCENTAGE FELL TO 37.5
PERCENT. AT THE SAME TIME. THERE HAS BEEN A MAJOR
SHIFT AWAY FROM CIGARETTES WITH HIGH TAR AND~NICOTINE
TO LOW-TAR AND NICOTINE BRANDS@
CLEARLY, PEOPLE ARE GETTING -- AND RESPONDING TO --
THE PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGE ABOUT S-MOKING: TO THE MESSAGE
THAT SMOKING IS SLOW-MOTION SUICIDE.
THERE IS, HowEVER, A DARK SIDE OF THE FIGURES ABOUT
SMOKING AMONG ADULTS WHICH' WE RELEASED IN JANUARY: IT
HAD TO DO WITH SMOKING AMONG WOMEN#
IN THE YEARS SETWEEN 1954 AND 410979, THE PERCENTAGE
CiF ADULT MALE SMOKERS DECREASED FROM 53-TC M
PERCENT: A DECREASE OF NEARLY 16 POINTS. BUT THE
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN WHO SMOKE WAS VIRTUALLY
UN CHAN GEDif
THE DEATH'RATE FROM LUNG CANCER AMONG WOMEN IN
1978 WAS ALMOST.THREE TIMES AS HIGH AS IN 19644
i
I
1
THESE ARE THE FACTS ABOUT SMOKING AMONG ADULTS. BU'T
WHAT ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE?
ONE OF THE NEW EFFORTS I PLEDGED IN JANUARY 1978 WAS
AN ATTEMPT 8Y HEWTO LEARN MORE A3OUT SMOKING THROUGH
RESEARCH, WE HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE
_.. .._.. . _._..~ _._,.~.__ _....__
+.~~+... ~ . r: a~r-.~.......~.~~ -~..~...+..r~-~+. . ~~.n...~i ..r......~... ~~ . .. « ..
. . . .
0
0
2 r
FACTS ABOUT SMOKIN'G AMONG CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS. NOW
WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF A NEW STUDY, CONDUCTED THI~S PAST
WINTER BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATICN,
TODAY I CAN ANNOUNCE FOR THE FIRST TIME THE MAJOR
FINDINGS OF TH'IS STUDY:
AA10NG ALL YOUNG PEOPLE AGE 1.Z TO 18, THE OVERALL
NEWS IS GOOD: SMOKING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IS DOWN'. THERE
ARE NOW 3.3 MILLION YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE REGULAR SMOKERS:
ABOUT 12 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION IN THAT AGE GROUP,
THIS IS DOWN ABOUT FOUR PERCENTAGE POINTS FROM WHAT IT
WAS I N 19746
IT IS INTERESTING TO BREAK THE STORY DOWN BY AGE
AND SEX:
r
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AGE 12-14:
0
FOR BOYS, THE PERCENTAGE OF REGULAR SMOKERS WENT
FROM 2jl% IN 13E8
TO LZ% IN 1974
TO '11% IN 13 79'
FOR GIRLS. THE PERCENTAGE OF REGULAR SM0KERS WENT
FROM Q_,,6% I N 1968
TO Lj% I N 1974
T0 ~LX- I N 197S
To SUM UP: A SHARP DROP AMONG BOYS SINCE 1974,
BUT ONLY A SLIGHT DROP AMONG GIRLS,
C
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AGE 1S AND 16:
a FOR BOYS. THE PERCENTAGE OF REGULAR SMOKERS WENT
FROM =ro I N 1968
TO 1L];% I N 1974
TO 1L-5% I N 19 79 -
! a FOR GIRLS, THE PERCENTAGE OF REGULAR SMOKERS WENT
i
I
~
;
~
;
,
< i-
FROM ~~ IN 19 68
T0 2L2,% I N 1974
TO: 113' IN' 1979
To SUM up: A SHARP DROP AMONG BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS.
12
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AGE r AND 18:
FOR 30YS. THE PERCENTAGE OF REGULAR SMOKERS WENT
FROM 30.2% I N 1968
TO II.~2% I N 19 74
TO 193% I N 1979
.
FOR GIRLS. THE PERCENTAGE OF REGULAR SMOKERS WENT
FROM jjj% IN 1908
TO 25.9% I N 1974,
~
TO ZE.Z: I N
To SUM UP; A SHARP DROP AMONG BOYS --- BUT A DISTUR3'ING.
CONTINU'ING RISE AMONG GIRLS.
IN~FACT, SO SIGNIFICANT IS THIS INCREASE IN SMOKING
AMONG OLDER TEENAGE GIRLS THAT FOR THE FIRST
TIME IK"THE HISTORY OF THE NATION, SMOKING AMONG
WOMEN IN A MAJOR AGE GROUP ACTUALLY EXCEEDS SMOKING
AMONG MEN. TODAY THERE ARE 1.7 MILLION GIRLS AGE
12 TO 18 WHO SMOKE, AS OPPOSED TO 1.6 MILLION BOYS$
WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE FROM THESE NEW FACTS ABOUT
SMOKING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE? SEVERAL THINGS:
FIRST, AS I SUGGESTED EARLIER, WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT
EDUCATION PROGRAMS ABOUT SMOKING ARE WORKING, AT LEAST
AMONG YOUNG MEN$ LIKE ADULT MEN, FEWER BOYS ARE CHOOSING
TO BE SMOKERS@
SECOND, WE CAN CONCLUDE, AS WE COMPARE THE FACTS
ON ADULT SMOKING WITH THE NEW FACTS ON YOUTH SMOKING,
THAT THE PROBLEMS OF ADULT AND YOUTH SMOKING ARE
ESSENTIALLY SIMILAR: WHILE MEN ARE GIVING UP CIGARETTES
AND FEWER BOYS ARE STARTING, WOMEN ARE APPARENTLY FINDING
IT HARDER TO GIVE UP SMOKING--AND GIRLS ARE TAKING IT UP IN
INCREASING PROPORTIONS1
C
-14-
THIS IS A TRAGEDY -- ESPECIALLY WHEN WE CONSIDER THE
'. -EVIDENCE WHICH HAS BEEN'ACCUMULATING ABOUT THE SPECIAL
DANGERS OF SMOKING FOR WOMEN:
! THE EXPERTS TELL US THAT IN ROUG}-iLY FOUR YEARS,
LUNG CANCER WILL SURPASS BREAST CANCER AS THE
LEADING CAUSE Of'CANCER DEATHS. AMONG WOMEN,
LARGELY DUE T0~ SMOKI NG,
EVIDENCE GATHERED~SINCE 1964 HAS ESTABLISHED THAT
CIGARETTE SMOKING IS A MAJOR RISK FACTOR FOR
HEART ATTACKS AND SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH AMONG
WOMEN AS WELL AS MENI
MOREOVER, THE .1979' REPORT PRESENTS EVIDENCE
THAT CIGARETTES MAY HAVE AN EVEN MORE
POWERFUL ADDICTIVE HOLD OVER WOMEN'THAN OVER MEN,
IN ANY CASE, WOMEN APPEAR'TO HAVE GREATER TROUBLE
THAN MEN IN GIVING UP SMOKING AND STAYING AWAY
FROM CIGARETTES,
l
-15-
FRIGHTENING EVIDENCE IN THE SURGEON GEMERAL'S
1979 REPORT SHOWS THAT SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY
CAN D0 SIGNIFICANT HARM~TO~AN UNBORN BABY OR.
A NEWBORNI
IN FACT, IF THERE IS ONE MESSAGE I COULD LEAVE TODAY
WITH'GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN, IT WOULD BE THIS: PLEASE, IF
YOU WANT SOMEDAY TO HAVE A HEALTHY BABY, DON'T SMOKE.
BEFORE YOU TAKE UP A HABIT THAT IS SO HARD TO GIVE UP --
A HABIT THAT IS SO DANGEROUS IN SO MANY WAYS -- THINK ABOUT
THE BABY YOU MAY SOMEDAY HAVE,
THIRD AND FINALLY, WE CAN CONCLUDE FROM THIS NEW
STUDY ON SMOKING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE THAT IT MAKES SENSE
TO FOCUS FUTURE EFFORTS UPON YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY
YOUNG WOMEN.
,
PAT IS WHAT WE INTEND TO D0, IN SEVERAL STEPS
WHICH I AM ANNOUNCING TODAY:
WE WILL, TO BEGIN WITH, STEP UP OUR RESEARCH
INTO SOME STILL-UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, I HAVE
THIS WEEK DIRECTED THE SURGEON GENERAL TO
LAUNCH A SPECIAL STUDY OF SMOKING AMONG
WOMEN AND GIRLS: TO HELP US LEARN THE
SPECIAL DYNAMI1CS OF TH'IS DIFFICUL7 PROBLEM. WHAT
WE LEARN WILL, I HOPE, RESULT IN MORE EFFECTIVE
PU'BLIC-HEALTH EFFORTS T0 DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM.
NEXT YEAR, H'EW's ANNUAL REPORT 70 THE CONGRESS ON
SMOKING AND HEALTH WILL BE DEVOTED TO THIS
PROBLEM OF SMOKI NG AMONG WOMEN AND GI RLS .
,
t WE WILL CONTINUE,ALSO THE AWARENESS PROGRAM AMONG
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WHICH WE BEGAN LAST YEAR. IN
THAT EFFORT, I CALLED UPON'THE NATION'S 7TH GRADE
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO SEND US POSTERS, LETTERS
AND ESSAYS ON SMOKING AND HEALTH. IN LAST YEAR'S
CONTEST, WE RECEIVED MORE THAN TWENTY THOUSAND
POSTERS AND ESSAYS. ON MAY 14, I WILL OPEN AN
EXHIBIT AT HEW OF ZOO OF THESE, SELECTED BY A PANEL
OF-JUDGES WHICH WAS CHAIRED BY ANN LANDERS AND
WHICH INCLUDED DR. TERRY, MIARVELLA BAYW, JOHN
tIAHLM1;Sd OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ART
EDUCATORS, AND NATIONALLY SYNDICATED CARTOONISTS
BILL REDIN AND BRANT PARKER. WE INTEND TO
MAKE THIS AN ANNUAL CONTEST FOR THE NATION'S
7TH GRADERS.
WE WILL ENLISTTHE EDUCATION COMMUNITY AND OSHERS
IN SPECIAL NEW YOUTH INFORMATION EFFORTS.
;
I
I
:
I AM SENDING A LETT ER THIS WEEK TO EVERY ONE OF
THE NATIONf S SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS AND PRINtIPALS,
TELLING THEM ABOUT OUR NEW YOUTH SMOKING SURVEY;
THANKING THEM FOR THEIR E"ORTS IN THIS CAUSE, AND
URGING THEM TO REDOUBLE THEIR EFFORTS, ESPECIALLY
AMONG YOUNG WOMEN$
AND IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS, I AM ASKING A
NUMBER OF YOUTH, HEALTH AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
TO MEET WITH US AT HEW TO GRAPPLE WITH SOME OF THE
QUESTIONS THESE NEW FACTS RAISE. I WILL DEPEND, OF
COURSE, ON THE HELP OF THE NATIONAL INTERAGENCY
COUNCIL; I AM PARTICULARLY HOPEFUL THAT THE NATIONAL
CONGRESS OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS, THE BOYS' CLUBS,
THE YMCA, AND YWCAs WILL JOIN U5 TO DISCUSS OUR
FUTURE EFFORTS. AND I HAVE ASKED THE NATIONAL
EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
TEACHERS, THE NATIONAL BOY AND GIRL SCOUTING ORGANIZATIONS
TO JOIN US' AS WELL.
_.
I FINALLY, I AM CALLING UPON THE CIGARETTE INDUSTRY
TO TAKE A RESPONSIBLE STAND ON THE ISSUE OF SMOKING
AND HEALTH -- ESPECIALLY AS IT TOUCHES CHILDREN AND
WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE$
A RECENT REPORT BY THE UIZITED NATIONS C0NFERENCE ON
. ,:
TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES THAT TOBACCO COMPANIES
WORLDWIDE SPEND $1.$ BILLION EACH YEAR TO ADVERTISE AND
PROMOTE SMOKI NG. DOMESTI CALLY, THE CI GARETTE COMPANI ES
SPEND UPWARDS OF $$00 MILLION PER YEAR ON ADVERTISING
AND PROMOTION, AND~WE ARE TOLD THAT TO INTRODUCE JUST ONE
NEW CIGARETTE BRAND INVOLVES SPENDING TENS OF MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS -- SOMETIMES AS MUCH AS $40 MILLIONG
THESE ARE ENORMOUS SUMS #
$1.8 BILLION IS 25 TIMES THE AMOUNT WE SPEND EACH
YEAR ON RESEARCH INTO LUNG DISEASE. IT IS TWICE WHAT
THE t1ATIGNAL CANCER INSTITUTE SPENDS ON RESEARCH TO
PREVENT, D IAGNOSE AND~ TREAT CANCER 1
EI GH!T HUNDRED MI LLI ON DOLLARS I S ENOUGH TO DOUBtE
.
. WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT SPENDS TO HELP THE FIFTY STATES CARE
FOR CRIPPLED CHILDREN,
FORTY MILLION DOLLARS IS ENOUGH TO IMMUNIZE NEARLY
13 MILLION CHILDREN AGAINST ALL THE SEVEN MAJOR CHILDHOOD~
DISEASES,
; YET THESE STAGGERING AMOUNTS ARE WHAT THE CIGARETTE
INDUSTRY IS SPENDING JUST TO PERSUADE PEOPLE -- INCLUDING
YOUNG PEOPLE -- THAT SMOKING IS PLEASURABLE AND ATTRACTIVE4
I AM FRANKLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THIS
ADVERTISING ON YOUNG PEOPLE, AND ON YOUNG WOMEN OF
CHILDBEARING AGE&
©
,
:
CERTAINLY I KNOW OF NO PARENTS, NOT EVEN TOBACCO
COMPANY PRESIDENTS, WHO WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO SMOKE.
INDEED, THE CIGARETTE COMPANIES TELL US THAT THEY FIRMLY
CONSIDER SMOKING AN ADULT HABIT@
A YEAR AGO, THE BOARD CHAIRMAN OF THE BROWN AND
WILLIAMSON TOBACCO COMPANY, MR. C. I. MCCARTY, WROTE
A LETTER TO ME THAT INCLUDED THESE WORDS:
~THIS COMPANY DOES NOT WANT CHILDREN TO SMOKE.'
WE MAINTAIN A STRICT POLICY AGAINST PROMOTING
CIGARETTES TO PERSONS UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE..@.A`
I AM AFRAID THAT $800 MlLLION' WINDUSTRY
ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION EACH YEAR -- ADVERTZSING THAT
SKILLFULLY USES YOUNG, ATTRACTIVE MODELS IN ACTIVE
POSES -- BELIES THAT CLAIM,
I THINK THE TIME HAS COME TO ASK THE CIGARETTE
MANUFACTURERS TO PUT SOME OF THEIR ADVERTISING DOLLARS
WHERE.THEIR CORPORATE RHETORIC IS. SO 1 HAVE TODAY
SENT A LETTER TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVES OF THE MAJOR
-21-
0
'CIGARETTE COMPANIES. URGING THAT THEY COMMIT TEN PERCENT ,
OF THEIR VAST ADVERTISING BUDGETS TO A SPECIAL PUBLIC
SERVICE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN: A CAMPAIGN T0 CONVINCE
CHILDREN AND~TEENAGERS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT SMOKE, AND A
CAMPAIGN TO ALERT PREGNANT WOMEN AND WOMEN'OF CHILDBEARING
AGE TO THE SPECIAL DANGERS OF SMOKING FOR THEIR UNBORN
BABIES,
0
A PRECEDENT FOR SUCH A CAMPAIGN CAN BE SEEN IN THE
ALCOHOL BEVERAGE INDUSTRY, WHICH HAS DEVOTED FUNDS TO
ADVERTISEMENTS MAKING IT CLEAR THAT THEY DO NOT ENCOURAGE
THE ABUSIVE USE OF THEIR PRODUCTS. IT IS TIME FOR THE
CIGARETTE INDUSTRY TO DO THE SAME,
IF THESE COMPANIES TRULY WANT TO KEEP CIGARETTES OUT
OF THE HANDS OF CHILDREN; IF THEY TRULY BELIEVE THAT SMOKING
SHOULD NOT BE A PASTIME FOR ELEVEN-, TWELVE- AND THIRTEEN-
YEAR-OLDS, THEY SHOULD RESPOND FAVORAB LY TO THIS REQUEST.
IF THEY FAIL TO DO SO, THE LEADERS OF THE CIGARETTE
INDUSTRY PERMIT THE CONCLUSION THAT THEY DO IN FACT WANT
CH I LDREN TO SMOKE : THAT THEY CARE MORE ABOUT THE HEALTH
OF THEIR CORPCRATE TREASURIES THAN THE HEALTH OF THIS
' =_ NATION'S CHILDREN$
IT IS HARD TO REALIZE IT -- SO COKM0N HAVE CIGARETTES
BECOME IN OUR SOCIETY -- BUT THERE WAS A TIME, WITHIN THIS
CENTURY, WHEN CIGARETTE SMOKING DID NOT HAVE SUCH A POWERFUL
GRIP ON SO MANY PEOPLE; WdEN IT WAS NOT A GRAVE THREAT TO
THE PUBLIC HEALTH NOR A CONTROVERSIAL PUBLIC ISSUE -
BECAUSE VIRTUALLY NO ONE WAS A CIGARETTE SMOKER, IN FACT,
BEFORE 1915 THERE WAS HARDLY ANY CIGARETTE SMOKING IN AMERICA.
BUT BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS CENTURY, MORE THAN
HALF THE ADULT MEN IN THE UNITED STATES WERE SMOKERS.
SINCE THEN, CIGARETTE SMOKING HAS BECOME THE NUMBER
ONE PREVENTAB LE CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE NATION,
SURPASSING EVEN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS IN THE TOLL OF
TREASURE AND TRAGEDY IT EXACTS4
C C
- 23
THE PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE OVER THE PAST ,
FIFTEEN' YEARS--ALWAYS AGAIN'ST GREAT OPPOSITION AND
GREAT ODDS--SUGGESTS THAT THE TRUTH IS A POWERFUL
PERSUADERI
AND IT IS PERSUASION, NOT COERCION, THAT IS AT
THE HEART OF OUR EFFORT. WE BELIEVE IN'FREE CHOICE--
AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE ON~Y, FREE CHOICE ABOUT SMOKING
IS A FULLY INFORMED~CHOICEI
I BELIEVE THAT THE GREAT MAJORITY 09 THE 3.3
MILLION JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE
REGULAR SMOKERS, IF THEY HAD MADE A TRULY INFORMED
CHOICE, WOULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN TO SMOKE.
BUT THAT NUMBER, 3.3 MILLION, IS THERE ON THE
RECORD TO CHALLENGE US AND TO SPUR US ONl
c
LET ME PAUSE, AS I FINISH, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, Twa
DAYS AGO THIS NATION AND THE WAR ON CANCER LOST ONE OF ITS
MOST FORMIDABLE AND COURAGEOUS SOLDIERS, MARVELLA BAYH. FOR
YEARS, HER PERSONAL BATTLE AGAINST THIS DISEASE WAS AN
INSPIRATION TO LITERALLY MILLIONS OF AMERICANS,
BUT SHE WAS ALSO A PERSONAL SOURCE OF STRENGTH AND
INSPIRATION TO ME4 REPEATEDLY DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS
SHE HAS OFFERED ME ENCOURAGEMENT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST
SMOKING,
WHEN I TOLD HER ABOUT THE POSTER CONTEST WE WERE
HAVING FOR ALL SEVENTH GRADE CHILDREN~IN THE UNITED STATES,
SHE WAS EXCITED AND SHE READILY AGREED TO BE ONE OF THE
JUDGES1
I HAVE THOUGiT A GREAT DEAL ABOUT MARVELLA BAYH OVER
THE PAST FEW DAYS, SHE, AS MUCH AS ANYONE, DESERVES A
LIVING AND CONTINUING TRIBUTE FOR HER SERVICE TO HER COUNTRY
AND HER GOD. THEREFORE, I INTEND~TO~CREATE AN ANNUAL
ftARVELLA BAYH AWARD, AS ONE OF THE AWARDS TO BE qi VEN AT
THE ANNUAL- CEREMONY FOR OUTSTANDI NG HEW EMPLOYEES AND OTHERS,
THAT AWARD WILL BE GIVEN TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS RENDERED
THE MOST OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN A PARTICULAR YEAR IN THE
AREA OF SMOKING AND HEALTH, THE FIRST AWARD WILL BE
PRESENTED NEXT APRIL 11, WHICH MARKS THE 27TH ANNIVERSARY
OF HEW,
WE HAVE OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US: TO HELP MILLIONS
OF TEENAGERS, AND THE YOUNGER CHILDREN WHO FOLLOWAN
THEIR FOOTSTEPS, TO MAKE A TRULY INFORMED CHOICE:
To CHOOSE A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER, FITTER WAY OF LIFE--
AND TO HAVE MORE YEARS TO ENJOY 179
THAT IS A WORTHWHILE CAUSE. LET US PURSUE IT WITH
THE VIGOR, THE ENTHUSIASM--AND THE COURAGf--IT DESERVES.
THANK YCU@
#~-ma~~
mrrrrrr
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