Tobacco Documents Online

S'CIENCE~ OR' POLITICS Why not a 'ncancer-free society by 2'0001?1" E~veryy ticeel_ brings good news of fresh "breakthrou2hs" in the fight against cancer. But now there is~ a serious threat to that' pro_ress. It comes irorn a small number of a!?ti-srnokif.t activists -- ir.dividoals a: d rroL:p's -- :vho `:aV.e made U'rofitable' ca~'ee:'S ou'_ of attacrar!E S'-noh_i'_^__ r_o~:k- tiEr are or=anizine a r_;ass_•.-E ~lrive to divert funds -- 1ror:n _Dvcrnm.ent agencies supported' with: your tax dollars and' health or.?anizatiozs sisr.ported w.it~ .-our contributions -- awav from the real Haht on cancer -- research and care -- and into their pet "cai+_sefA of anti-srrokina. They say t~~ey ,vant to create, by force, a'"smoke-free society by 2000. " But if you're a nonsmoker, aware of *.he simple fact that nor:smol:er=, too, suffer and die from cancer,, you will :r;: : to zsk ""~'+Vh.,y-?''i n'vJThy this di- version of funds from research and care that can `elp me and' all of us -- the filzht on cancer, itself' "' Two facts about cancer -- in norrsr-no:ce: s-- must be clear even ro~the most embittered' anti-srnoker: 1. No amio;a::t of attackz on srr.okini!and sano~, ers can save the lives or i' shorten the s.rfferir:-- o o_- who-viLl shartl

contract it. 2',. 'tio one pretends that more cannot be done for our present cancer ssfferers. Talk to any one of'them, and you will discover that fact for yourself. A dollar,, or a minute of time, of our governmental agencies or health organizatior_s, taken away from their care, or from the research that can find a cure, penalizes them crueUy -- and damages our entire s ocietv. We have concr1tsed other diseases. We will conquer this one. But time ils vitall, znd -so is every bit of the energy and resources of our eovern - :nental a2eneies anc' o;.-r health or`anizatior.s. Ne m.,st not pErmit th'em to be press:red into :::-cr*inc that time, money or ener2%fronn research and care into prop;a_a",-~a :'a7r'-aiglns. Why not a"can:.er--Lree society by 2000?" That is a feas,ible g,oal. Why not, im fac., sooner than that? That is also a feas.ible goal -- if we put all' our reso_ rces b2t-.ind it. The Tobacco Institute 1875 1 Str e; t, ti, W. , Suite t300; Wa shimgton, D. C. 10i0016