Tobacco Documents Online

LAURIA: Of course there are people in advertising -- in some cigarette advertising who Look attractive. What industry would deliberately portray its customers in an unfavorable light. It's common sense that you're gonna use attractive people in your ads. Are they disproportionately attractive? I don't think so. Lots of attractive people who are adults choose to smoke cigarettes. COLLINS: Mr. Lauria? I know that your industry is using some PSAs and so forth to counter this I would just hope and trust that you would use the same energy and the same resources and, perhaps, the same money that you use on selling cigarettes to discourage youngsters from smoking. I mean, is that in the works? LAURIA: It certainly is a major industry concern. Yes. You' 11 be seeing other things in the future as our member companies create programs to also disseminate the message that kids shouldn't smoke. We don't want them for customers. back.. COLLINS: Thank you, Mr. Lauria, very much. LAURIA: You're welcome. COLLINS: Thanks for being with us today. We will be * * * PURCELL: Deirdre Connolly is back again, and after you have heard the discussion earlier, Deirdre, what would you like the tobacco companies to do? CONNOLLY: Well, I understand Mr. Lauria's comment about how cigarette advertising banned altogether would not decrease cigarette sales, but I think it would help a great deal. I mean, like you said before 90% of cigarette smokers start before age 20. Sixty percent start before age 18. We need to stop the problem before it starts, and banning things like Joe Camel the cartoon character would do that. Children appeal to images like this. They love cartoon characters, and they respond to that, and we need to get rid of that altogether. COLLINS: Mr. Lauria? LAURIA: I think it's a little ludicrous arguing constitutional law with a California teenager except to say theN First Amendment Freedom that protects the tobacco industry alsoo protects everyone watching this program and every sponsor you have N and every industry that is.legally selling a prodtict•. We conform ~ to all government regulations as to warning labels... ~ rJ ~ 0 •~

COLLINS: Do we have any proof, sir -- do we have any proof, sir,, that just saying don't smoke works? LAURIA: I'm not sure that parents should take that approach~. I think parents should be much more honest with their kids about asking their children what kind of pressures they're feeling from their friends, where the influences are coming from, how to stand up, have the self esteem to say that they don't want to get involved in either drinking or smoking,or whatever the peers are offering. CONNOLLY: Excuse me, Mr. Lauria? Are you~familiar with the tobacco industry's pamphlet... COLLINS: We're going to have to wrap it up here. sorry, Deirdre. I' m CONNOLLY: OK. Pt7I2CELL : Yeah. COLLINS: We're out of time. But it is, four hundred thousand people die every year.