Tobacco Documents Online

Michigan Academy of Family Physicians ,f I I I } •16 NORTH HOMER. SUITE 107 October 17, 1980 Rhonda Runner 3500 North Logan P.O. Box 30035 Lansing, MI 48909 Dear Ms. Runner: - LANSIIrG.M1CHIGAN .t912 PMO!4E (St7) 10HN M. 6ATTLE. yD. s![.. aa XU Il1OlM BERNARD 1. a'OODIEY. YD. v1Q 7KA[I TALYTUII ROlERT 1. TOTEFF. YD. TIIlANIil fAGi.`/AW JJ7•2061 DONALD E. D.rTTT. * %ID. P.ST r.ulot" uLAJ1At00 HAIOLD P Rf vDR1tZ. M.D. Si[Z1TAa T POMK !Q LDRfTTAJOYCE inn.Irvi D1 atc-oa 1Awsa.c This letter will describe the position of DOC regarding Smoking & Public Health/ Safety. DOC is "Doctors Ought to Care", a physician-organized national non-profit organization with a`iichigan chapter originating in the Family Practice Residency Programs and the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians. DOC believes that the most significant reduction in mortality and morbidity in the general population can be achieved by prevention and elimination of specific poor health habits. This "New Public Health" must involve a direct attack against the disease-carrying factors in our environment. Cigarette smoking is a prime example of a preventable poor health habit. A physical and psychological addiction that'is very hard to break; smoking usually begins in the late pre-teens and the early teens. Smoking habits have been found to result almost entirely from the "Three P's" - Parental smoking, Peer pressure and Popular opinion. All children are at risk for later tobacco-related illness. The Three P's are the vectors - the carriers and spreaders - of this illness. Just as eradication of malaria depends on control of the vector mosquito, reduction of tobacco-related cancer, emphysema and heart disease must occur by-helping parents stop, reducing peer pressure, and developing a negative public view of smoking. ~ C1T It is DOC's belief that the $800 million annual advertising expenditures of the tobacco industry is extremely effective in portraying smokers as strong, macho, rugged, outdoorsmen and svelte, sexy, liberated, active women. Advertising is the single most powerful vector of tobacco-related illnesses. The $1 million spent by the government against tobacco usage is not effective. This is not because of the amount spent, but rather because of the use to which it is put.' The U.S. Government material is primarily informational in character and generally must be requested. Advertising, O N asuros WHO!~6LWY.1f.11D_Cw.14NCNLIAYG./OMiR.YD. G~M,.aOUtLttM LOD1R'.11II.L.rr.1~1LST~'[1M[LYD_G7.rr.IlA/uY[.7C7MQTL1.IL1rD_w~AnrJ01d1 Q,LLTYD.AI.. ~ hR:'~!'MIS Y.:oY. YD. CJr/~: Y(.1!<A1 N. ]IX•N791/. IID. F~:G LDwAlDCOTSQm. Y.D. l~.~t OOUG.wiA RA17i.J/ D. M M~a OOMA(D L Y.C9, f VII, W-.~1GW[PM T. LATDOV. V D. Gr gba oascAas ro w.P. uaRi..n ousur.a a.u~. p6"T L YRU. CiO0t A. D[AM. Y D. 3w.dY OWLn t. ID10fT. r D. Cw~ WiDON .. NLLOU011 n. P..dw -21G- I I I I i 1 I I ~ L t

II i Rhonda Runner, Page 2 on the other hand, is primarily emotional in character and is exhibited to the public without the need of request. Tobacco advertising was withdrawn from television at the request of the tobacco industry - why? Because the sparse, brief, non-prime-time counter-advertising had caused intermediate loss of tobacco sales in the affected areas. - DOC very heartily agrees with the drafted recommendations of the Citizens' Panel on Smoking and Health entitled Economic Recommendations, Legal Recommendations, and Additional Recommendations. These are dated respectively 8/27/80; 9/2/80 and 9/30/80. In addition, DOC would propose that public bars be required to have no-smoking areas with adequate ventilation. DOC would advocate prohibition of sale or dispensation of any form of tobacco, except on physicians' orders, in any hospital receiving state funds. DOC would also advocate the prohibition of smoking in public stadia receiving state funds and the sale of tobacco on any state-owned ground. DOC would encourage . that smoking does not take place on school grounds. With such measures, we would hope to make smoking less dangerous to others and a less acceptable behavior in public opinion. The DOC organization also agrees in principle with most of the recommendations regarding health department involvement; roles of colleges and universities, etc., included in a draft report received. Sincerely, We do feel however, that the strongest stress should be on preventative measures, not changing present smoking behaviors. Although the latter is an admirable goal, (especially in helping parents quit) the -return per dollar spent will-be far less than with the use of the former method. We heartily advocate a massive and prolonged • counter-advertising campaign whose primary aim is not informational, but attitudinal in nature. The most effective usage of such advertising centers on the use of satire, especially directed against existing tobacco industry advertising. Non-smokers should be portrayed as attractive and smokers as unattractive in a variety of ways. Proven examples in several states across the nation have used bus stations, radio, buses, billboards, and posters for distribution in medical offices and schoolrooms, etc. In sum, DOC is a group of physicians and non-physicians who strongly feel that health habits are influenced primarily by emotional lures from advertising, and therefore should be developed in appropriate ways by the effective use-of counter-advertising. We also support the drafted recommendations stated earlier. . ~ 1 OLlQ n n rv^r i ~ ~`'t~~ ~J~~'t~C.~ t 1 ( ~ld'1l1 \ J. Byron WaY, thall, M.D. Chairman, Resident's Committee, Michigan Academy of Family Physicians Chairman, Doctors Ought to Care - ~ JBW:gk ~ L -217-