Tobacco Documents Online

... ON YOIITH SMOKING Three Decades of initiatives Tobacco manufacturers have always believed that the decision to smoke or not is a choice to be made by informed adults. Over the years, the industry has taken the following steps to demonstrate that belief. For example: 0 In 1963 -- The industry ended all brand advertising and promotion in college publications and on campuses. o In 1964 -- The industry adopted a code prohibiting advertising and promotion directed at young people, particularly by requiring that models in advertising must be, and must appear to be, at least 25 years old. o In 1969 -- The industry offered to end brand commercials on television and radio, pointing out their substantial, and unavoidable, ~ ~ N audiences of young people, as contrasted with ~ print advertising. Tobacco commercials left CA the air in 1971 as a result of Congressional 0 N action. ~

0 In 1981 -- The industry adopted a new code of sampling practices which prohibits distribution within two blocks of youth activity centers, such as playgrounds, schools, campuses and fraternity or sorority houses. 0 In 1982 -- On the industry's behalf, The Tobacco Institute began an advertising campaign which was to reach 110 million Americans with the message, "Do cigarette companies want kids to smoke? No. As a matter of policy. No. As a matter of practice. No. As a matter of fact. No." o In 1984 -- The Institute launched its current "Responsible Living" program by offering a free parental guidebook, "Helping Youth Decide," prepared by the National Association of State Boards of Education. Another booklet, "Helping Youth Say No," followed in 1985. Both provide guidance on family communication to enable parents to help youngsters develop decision-making skills needed to deal wisely with everyday choices 2 i.I

and with lifestyle decisions, such as smoking. 0 In 1986 -- The Institute expanded the "Responsible Living" program by providing unrestricted grants to the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) for funding Community Alliance Programs (CAPs) at the rate of ten a year. Towns and cities throughout the U.S. were invited to apply for the grants, which provide the impetus for a broad community- based effort to improve parent-youth interaction, using "Helping Youth Decide" and "Helping Youth Say No" booklets. THE RESPONSIBLE LIVING PROGRAM Two Tobacco Institute-funded booklets, "Helping Youth Decide" and "Helping Youth Say No" comprise the core of the program. Since their introduction, they have helped ~ thousands of parents and teachers assist children in making 0 N decisions about important adult activities. ~ Their success has been remarkable. More than 700,000 ~ booklets have been distributed nationwide at a cost of more ~ W Ir 3

than half a million dollars for printing alone. Demand continues to be high among parents and community organizations, where these materials are used to teach communications skills to parents and teens to discuss subjects as diverse as teen-age pregnancy, the impact of divorce on children, improving school performance and how to handle peer pressure. The booklets have generated large numbers of unsolicited letters of appreciation from parents and support groups who have used these materials. Several Congressmen have sent them to all public high school students in their districts. One Catholic bishop has sent copies to all parochial high school students in his diocese. Here are some typical comments: "Our program works to keep parents and children together, and your booklets are right on target in terms of dealing with the care issues...Thank you again for developing such a viable tool and also for being willing to distribute it free of charge. You are providing a very valuable service." Milwaukee County Social Services, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 0 N W "...have found it invaluable in my work with parents r G!1 and youth. The copies I am requesting will be used at O W N 4

several parenting workshops." Public Health Nurse, Mental Health Center, High Point, North Carolina "As the parent of one teen and two who will soon be teens (and as president of PTA Council), I found the information in the booklets just great. It is a great common sense approach to dealing with the issue which is most on the minds of parents today." Greensburg, Pennsylvania The Institute continues to promote the booklets to parents and teachers around the country through media appearances by the program's national spokesperson, Jolly Ann Davidson, a former president of NASBE. Upon hearing interviews conducted by Ms. Davidson, parents or young people can send for their free booklet. Interest generated by Ms. Davidson's appearances underlines the continued need to help parents and their children improve communications. In addition, the Community Alliance Program (CAP), a program funded by the Institute, revolved around these booklets. This was a community-based nationwide effort. The booklets were used in a community setting focusing on the needs of a specific community. Each community tailored their programs and the use of the booklets to meet their specific needs. For example: 5

In Queens, New York, a CAP began as an informal group of parents concerned about drinking at teenage parties. It subsequently became an incorporated non-profit community service organization. The "Helping Youth Decide" booklet was used in these parent education workshops, targeted toward minority parents and the parents of at-risk students. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, the CAP was formed within a middle school-based program focusing on building communication between young adolescents, parents and step-parents. Program coordinators also helped use the "Helping Youth Decide" material to expand a program to develop peer leaders in drug and alcohol use/abuse situations and in general problem solving. Many CAP programs are freestanding today and serve communities around the country. Questioning authority, testing rules and experimenting with adult behavior are all a part of growing up. Helping young people to make the right choices during this impressionable period is a difficult but important job. The tobacco industry is committed to making that job easier -- for parents and for young people. While advertising does 6

not significantly effect whether or not young people smoke, peer pressure and family influence do. Few industries in America have taken such direct and voluntary action to steer young people away from its product. Perhaps that's one reason the prevalence of daily smoking among high school students has dropped from 29 percent in 1976 and to 21 percent in 1980 and has fluctuated between 18 and 21 percent ever since. 7