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® RESPO\SIBLE' LIVING FORTEENaGERS I A Public Service Proposal for the Tobacco Industry The Tiobacco Institute May 1982 '~~ ~,

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Ir C RESPONSIBLE LJVING FOR TEENAGERS A. Pubiic. ServiceProoosa.lifor the Tobacco Industry C The Tobacco Institute. May 1982

r~a INTRODUCTION t. C 1 Teenage smoking: despite reports that it is on the d'ecline,, it continues to grow as an issue. The tobacco industry maintains that smoking is an adult custom. But our critics say that our advertising is geared'.to glamorize smoking an&to presenting,it to childYen as an adult thing to do. About a third of all Amer- icans agree. So do various government officials. In its staff report on cigarette adver- tisilng, the Federal Trade Commissioniberated the industry for not better reg- ulating,itself in this area. "Unlike the liquor industry, cigarette manufac- turers have never produced an advertisement discouraging use of their product by young people an&children," the report complained. An industry code adopted in 1964 to divert cigarette advertising from children was called "loosely enforced" and'."ineffective" in that same report. Federal and local legislation has been proposed~to deal with the issue. And, naturally, anti-smoking groups have spent a good deal of time and money dis- couraging youngsters from smoking. Unlike our proposed project, they present smoking,as repugnant and unhealthy. Saturday morning tel~evision, aimed largely at small children, carries anti-smoking messages: some featuring Star Wars and cartoon characters. Despite the tobacco industry's repeated assertions regarding youngsters, we Q continue to be seen as the problem -- an&certainly not part of the solution. l'v ~ On the following pages we describe a program for industry sponsorship. It is Q C.J designed to offset further erosion of the industry"s image i~n this area, re- ,~ r~

verse poLitical trends and gain recognition of our efforts fromipubLie service organizations and public officials. Y _z_

c OBJECTIVES t I. To create a broad'public awareness of the industry's position that smoking is an adult custom. II. To establish positive working relationships with key public and private officials interested in the needs and welifare of youngsters. III. To demonstrate that the voluntary approachito the issue is preferable to a mandatory one. ~

r PROGRAM SUMMARY Y The following are the basic elements of this program. T!hey are intended to be implemented in the order shown and on an incremental basis, i.e., with a'"goAno go" decision at the end of each step, depending on resulits to date. Details for the major steps are to be found~as iindicated later in this proposal. I. Develop~a program - for eventual use by parents, teachers and other con- cerned adults - to help~teenagers understand the need to postpone many of life's decisions. Almost by definition, youngsters do:not possess the physical, emotional or mentaL maturity to~make informed decisions about many of life's adult acti- vities: marriage, voting, drivfng, sex. The list is long and, most def- i'initely, it includes cigarette smoking. This program would use advertising, literature and presentations to help C 1 parents, teachers and other concerned adults counsel youngsters to wait. The Institute wouLd~prepare these materials with the assistance of consui- tants experienced in dealing withiparent/child psychology and communication. See page 8. 04210402 IiI. Identify established'organi~zations with, existing "responsible l'iving" pro- grams. Offer the above program as a cooperative venture. Seek agreement. Several highly visible, businesslike organizations have established programs in the area of "responsible living." - 4 -

r~a We woulidioffer our program to one of those groups -- along with adequate C funding,-- to enhance their existing efforts. See page 12 for list of potential cooperating agencies. III. Privately preview the program to key pubLic officialis. Seek their endorse- ments of it. This would be conducted by Institute Senior Management. IV. PublYclry announce the program. FoLlow announcement with publicity om endorsements. The first public announcement of the program wouLd occur this Fall, pos- sibly as part of our national advertising program. See page 16. V. Merchandise the program to adults nationally who -- by way of their profes- sional or voluntary activities - are involved with children. A broad merchandising of the program would be undertaken for three reasons: 1. to create an awareness of the industry's position and action on teenage smoking. 04~104 03 2. to extend the program by making materials availiable. 3. to create a potential for endorsements of the programiat the state and local level. See page 17. ~

VI. Implement localized program with cooperating organization on a pilot basi~s. 4. C Once our effort was made known to the American,public„ we would~begiin im- plementing the program local~ly -- using chapters of the cooperating organi- zations selected under Step I1I. If these pilot efforts proved successfuli -- and there would be an evalua- tion method established as part of the program development -- then the decision could be made to implement the program iin other locations accept- able to both the cooperating agencies an&ourselves. ~

It c C PROGRAMiDETAIL