Tobacco Documents Online

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CONFIDENTIAL But it offer, little economic opportunity to idea ,temmed from the public relation, ,runt, the people of Greenfield made a ,erious attempt to give up smoking. In their effort they were ,upported l~y most ofthe •well-known anti -smoking. organizations, ,uch as the American Cancer Society, the American. Heart Association, and the U.$. Department of Health, Education

"";~.....' " The ground rules were simple - 3 - If you were a smoker, you • .~:~~.:,~.".~ .were supposed to quit, If you were not a smoker, you were not /~...:......;.~.:!,... supposed to start, The town council considered passing a law ~-~,,.~.,..,... forbidding smoking within the town limits and discussed banning ~":'~;':.~.:x:-~.~.:,:._ the sale of tobacco products, but considered it too much an ...... <~.~...~;.~!:~.., abridgment of individual rights and freedom to b~ brought .~:.~o~a. ..... .. ~ a ,-~..o. ~,~.~ ,. .. ,.. ,.._..~..,-:--~--=--~--....=~. serious vote-, Most merchants, however, cooperated with the spirit ~)i~22'.~.~'".i~:' of the community effort by removing tobacco from sale or at • ~'~.-~:.~i~:."-- from s~ght. Pledges to quit or not start were obtained from -i~iz:;-Ci:~.i~T.' the residents of the general area, from the rest homes to the .':'C.:!/:~:::-~"~~. kindergartens, and the "evils" of smoking were well public~ze~, -iT..-:.:-;,~.;~. together with the contrasting "benefits" of not smoking.-Althoug).N~ ' " " " " ' " l " " there were probably some individual smokers who skeptically debated .- some of the antl-smoking claims, there was no rebuttal from the tobacco industry, so that the people of Greenfield were presented.".5.~.~.~: . with only a single side of the anti-smoking question, and they ~,~.-.:~.~ ...~ received that in a very heavy dose, ~-.. And so on August 8, 1969, following the firehose fight between}i;2 .~ .~.. the Jaycees and the volunteer fire department, after the Kra y lostume Awards, after the speeches by Senator-~, film .~'C "'-," ", ' .....-.~.:~:~.._ Dick Van Dyke and Bob Newhart, after the blessing~ of Mi~s ~eenage. :::~'-~:--:~,~..~ America had been bestowed on the crowd, while the pretty girls were."? • .~.~:.~:.. Still gathering ~he final signature~ on the pledge card~ and the -i:~~,,"-,.,.,, .,.,. fr~e balloon~ were drifting toward~ Oes Moines, then the .1. m~ ~; ~L-~'- .,~'.~.,~='-'~:.:.,;,.~ Greenfl, el d lit a. huge bonfire on the town square, threw in their .~,~.:~... cigar~ cigare~te~, and even their pipes, and attempted to give '~"~~'" " smoking for thirty days. It was a local holiday, a festive • ..~. the most memorable event in Adair Count~ since Jesse James robbed :' ' ~he train abou~ 15 miles outside the town in 1873, and i~ wa~ of '~ .... '~" course named and advertised as Cold Turke~ Day.. .... . ...... . ...~._.. .... . ~ ...... --.~.~ .... . .... . , : ~" ,.,.,. ~w~.'~ .t~-~:~.~--~i~L~.~z .... . . • ... :'~.,~.'~~.., ,,~.~;~..'., ....-~..,.~,~

...~,+ ,;-,~ ../+~ ,,,+. .. '"" " +~+C + + - 4 - CONPIDENTIAL During the thirty days of abstinence Norman Lear's filmmaking was in full swing, Actors, c~meras, and film technicians flooded ;'~.:. .~.+ the area, blocked off streets with cables, filled the motels for -.+_+.; • . . . + ,t,....:,+ - miles around, rubbed elbows with the townsfolk at the soda fountain +~+~..+,:..,,, ,+-~.:..,.+ +. .+>.~:.~?:~..:... grocery stores, church services, and bar and grille. The area work +--,+ ...... ,+ bulged with tourists watching the movie makers at Hundreds • , . . . .... ..+.~ " ..:;~,++++.,.+. of local people of all ages were employed as extras The • , " " . , " ',+.::'~' _2Z~.-+;-...,'-'.;-, opening of schoQl was postponed for a week because so many people .:i~ • . -j: " ";:~"+'--+"+ were in the crowd scenes. There was a love affair betwe'e'n the town. ":" '"+"" " • .+ ..... and the moviemakers built up almost overnight, The town admired + ~.:..... :.~--.+.L~ • ~+ + the obvious professionalism and dedication of the actors and ":~.'..~'~-+.:~_~. +.+~ ~ +~,. • . . . ...-.+,,,.'-. • • technicians, the hours they spent in rehear~l the driving + • , ... • " " ante of the director that scenes be done over and over until were right. The movie crew was smitten by the intelligence, common sense, adaptability, and cooperative spirit of the people, so much:" - ....-;. so that they made a ten minute short subject on how wonderful the - - • " C .~-; + people were, whi'ch fell a little flat when presented on national~ • , .,-~ .,~..~.+-..- • _-":.+,. .,.~ ..+ :.,+~.,.+.,.. +:. L. u ;. TV a year later, . ..... ," -"> i -'::: ~: .... • •. ,.,+..,--~ - '- " - " ..... • • . '+:.,~'..+ "+.'2,. ' :,:,?'.~::"~ ;'i + ; '" A" ' :.:::-y:...'++.~/+" huge sign on the outskirts of town greeted tourists with + • -,: : q,;+".i., ',;.. " " -.,~-+-.++++~z.++ Welcome to Greenfield, the town that went Cold Turkey No Smoking, • ~, . ..... .~.',~,'....+:~;..,.- '~~-;~%+" """ " " . Gum ,. " ~'+'+.-',/-.C ,,,~.+~+-.Please., In town there was almost no smoking in public ':..+:~Tx~;,,~,"+:~..+.,_+:.. +~,u+cver^,., was being chewed at an alarming )ate, candy mints were """'". +"-+"+-~,Y-"+ and the life expectancy of a salted • .~+o.++~ melting away like a spring snow, ~+:'.~....'z~,;:.-..~./;.I nu~;" was extremely brief. Most quitters increased their consumption "i.~'..,.~+i-'..!i~.,. of ~hese or other types of snacks and drinks in an effort to replace ~ +~S.'T,.~ ~,,.: ~:.+:+ .+... ,+. ~.~, ,:..,<+.. ~-....,,.+;,.-~., tobacco, Many, quitters also developed or noted increases in suc~ ..:~-~ ~.~ :~..... .... '1"~ ~'~ .... " fi nger-tappi ng, ..<,....::.. nervous mannerisms as foot-tapping, pencil-twirling, _ ~.~'~:.;.X~' . ..- " '- ::"~':"~ " thumb.twiddling, or an unexpected favorite which combines a "~'.. .~..., ~." .+ ,+" • +.+-.+.~; mannerism with a snack -- match-chewing. Compared to the way they ." ./~..+~.~..... used to feel, many quitters found themselves feeling blue or depresse • " ,+ .- :' :: ..... ~ r-+. • . ..L'+j +~ ,; .... ..: ~ ,-, ,w,,+ : • ,,+ ,-- • ..... j

CONFIDENTIAL - 5 - They reported being restless and tense, being ill-tempered, being apt to doze off, and getting constipated. Most noticeable of all, they were gaining weight.* " ~,;.'~ . .: .'- .. Ceremonies marking the conclusion of the campaign were held . at the end of thirty d~ys and IQ (for "I Q~it") buttons were awarded • publicly to those who claimed to be successful quitters amids~ not a few snide remarks from onlookers as to whether they were deserved or • "" .: ~; ~T . not. Things got back to normal a~ter the filmmakers left, but the community continued to bask in the glory of its famous anti-smokin~";- ..... ~ ~"r',,u, effort. There was considerable debate over the spending of the • $6000 prize money -- a set of chimes for the courthouse Was :he ,. ,..~..":': ..':.; - eventual compromise -- and the enforcement of the former smoking .. taboo was relaxed. Although strangers were no longer openly .~...~ criticized for smoking, local people were chided, given dirty gentle ribbings, and even occasional reprimands from WCTU types. .. It was plain to the community leaders that the community had been :.~:i!:. indelibly marked by its experience. The mayor, who since he had quit smoking had gained eitherl5 pounds (his estimate) or 40 pounds/ .... Ctownspeople's estimate), was in much public demand to speak before..: ~:~-~;~'.:~..i local civic groups and PTA's throughout Iowa and eastern ~lebraska.._...~... • ... .:...: . Occasionally he even traveled as far afield as Massachusetts, and...::.' ..... .:--~ the private citizens of Greenfield shared vicariously in his new ...... • ,;~i,,~ :~', ,~,;;...... • ...,, ,.. . ~, . ",': "~ ..... . ,.,~,,~.:., , .. . ,." ..,.. . , ., , .... ..-,..,,...,,. found prestige. .... .- " ' ~.: .: ..... : ..'..." :.T :"i" " .. ...'." .:... .~,T" .:.. . " . ....:I.,T...~ All of these events were history when I visited Greenfield the following Easter to find out what had happened the preceding ' summer and to ask whether the campaign had had any long term effects. It was then seven months after Cold Turkey Day and six months after formal termination of the antl-smoking campaign ..... .-,.':", • . ,.. .. • . ~. ,--.~'.- .~ .,.'-.~.- ... . ~- ~:; i.",..",: • Tables showing changes in consumption patterns, nervous mannerisms,.." etc., have been placed in the Appendix :.~,,.~....-:.,.~.:.:,,.~ • . .,...-,., ..:.~- ~, ..,.;-'..'. • ,. .~,~.'r;,. -- . . .:, ,.,.. . 100184 480 ' _.__it," " • . . _~. .... ± ... s,-:~_ .__ .._,.~.--..

- 6 - CONE/DENTIAL PROCEDURES .. The local Girl Scout Troop was hired to distribute question-:~:.-- naire packets to every man, woman, and child living within the: , ,.. ~; ,::~. :~.' ,." :.,~z.-o.,:- Greenfield city limits who had been at least 14 years old on:- Cold Turkey Day, smokers and nonsmokers alike. Each packet con'.'~;;z-~' ":'c::"~c:;i;.; - rained a questionnaire which covered personal demographic data and .a smoking history, as well as a copy of Cattell's personality..,~ • o~ ...... ., ..... _,L-.-~:~::-_ l e, and Inventory, the 16 PF. The Scouts contacted 1592 pe . inas.much as the decennial census, taken the next week, tallled . . only 2212 people of all ages, it appears that they found .... .---.C~ all of the eligibles. The subjects were asked to fill out the • • ..:. ~:.'~- ~.~ questionnaire and the personality test and return them in a postage prepai~l envelope to the Product Opinion Laboratory in "',.,,...~;:-.', Richmond. This firm does field testing of innovative product~ ~.:::'~"" I~:L:.;. for several Virginia companies, but it is owned by a tobacco .:....~:,,....,-:. • .~ ..::~, .~.~, company and exists mainly to evaluate new cigarettes. It was ,,.~'..-.~.,.- .:' ,, ,~..':, .~..-. known in Greenfield that the Product OpSnion Laboratory "had a '.:.,~;;,.~,;- • ~.o.. ~.'..~ tobacco company as one of its clients" -- we felt that we should.:~;).".i . ..;' ~ not deceive the city council as to this fact when we asked their ' help in gathering the data -- butwhich company sponsored the research was not revealed For returning the questionnaires, • .;.:::,.:.-.,~. which took about 90 minutes t~ fill out, Product Opinion paid respondents five dollars and gave them an abbreviated persona.lity-.,.= ..... description comparing them to "other Americans" on ten of the basic.:.._ factors measured by the personality test. ' ;.'~":":" :.-'.i!"::.:':~ . ' " i. "/,':'T.'::-.";'L- A total of 1435 questionnaires were returned, 90.1% of the 'i.i; handout. Of this total, 1385 provided usable data, The 50 discards " , were mostly from elderly people who hadn't filled out.the qu~sti~n-.~. naire properly, but V~voided a couple of.returns arbitrarily -. .. .:'... ,..,~$~,,.,~ because they appeared to have been filled out by the same person. . ' • .' L:.~.', ~,,~..-..~.:~,w~: .~.~ ........ . ..o ,._- ..-~ • . . - ..~. ~ .. ,..~ ,. ,. .... ' -. ' "- -.':. :-',~:"-;-:: ' ~" ...... ~ "~ ""~"~ -- - "" :" "" " :. ~..".-'. '-."--:~. "~;i-." , .. • " :....~ -.-....'."...'~."~ :.~:~*~ 1..I..~' ".'.'." . . "-" ........ • ..~ :....~_,,,:-,,,,~.,.~.,~..~,.~--~ " . .'. • ; • " " :'," ..... '.': .-':,.'-':,;'~',.=._':,'?.;v r~'~* " " ": . ; '"' " "" ;:. :.': '".':.': .::"'~-".::., ;.'~'.': ~ "~.;-~=:' • - .-: .... ' .. • ~.:..'::.~,., .., - ;.,,......;!,:,.::~,,...-.>,....'_

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CONFIDENTIAL Group • Nu~be~ I00.0 Nons~,okcrs in May 941 67.9' S=ok~rs in H,~' ~ Tried to Qui'~ 166 wi~.~.~n .a ~onth 7~ a~ Eas~er, lastad ~7

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