“The shaft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagle's own plumes.” —Aesop TABLE OF CONTENTS • Welcome • Broad Strokes • Priority Focus • Making the Case • The Paper Trail • Resource Spotlight • A Helping Hand • Resources and Links • Special Thanks • Let's Talk... • Letters

We know a lot about tobacco industry sponsorship because it has been part of our social fabric for a long, long time. Though we are most familiar with the more “traditional sponsorship” we see at sporting events like auto racing and rodeos, the face of tobacco industry sponsorship has morphed yet again.

In an effort to broaden its markets, soften its image, and influence policy, the tobacco industry has turned its attention to sponsoring community organizations and activities. This tactic has provided the tobacco industry with a sort of “innocence by association,” allowing the industry to craft a new public persona over the past decade. In this issue of ttac exchange we take a closer look at how the industry reaches out to communities, reveal industry tactics with the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender, as well as African American communities, and offer a few strategies to counter the lure of the ash-covered dollar.

A fistful of dollars that could be put to good use can be tempting in lean economic times—but we must never lose sight of from whence it came. . .

Dearell Niemeyer, MPH
Director, Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium

To learn about these new trends in tobacco industry sponsorship worldwide, see the WHO report, Tobacco Industry and Corporate Responsibility...An Inherent Contradiction

“Taking money from the tobacco industry offers the industry
—at a cheap price—a respectability it doesn’t deserve.”
Richard Smith, Editor, British Medical Journal

Community events are extremely appealing to tobacco companies.
“When we began our efforts to counter tobacco industry sponsorship in California, we asked ourselves why we should care so much about this issue. In answering this question, we came up with what we believe to be Big Tobacco’s real motives for sponsoring community events and organizations . . . we call it AIRS . . .

Access—to new markets and key policy and decision-makers
Influence—over policy affecting tobacco control and product liability
Respectability—buying innocence by associating with the innocent
Silence—using stealth marketing techniques and co-opting respectable organizations to serve as their mouthpiece.

That’s why it’s so important . . . because communities are becoming part of the cycle of addiction, disability, disease and death,” says Debra Kelley, Vice President of Government Relations for the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties.

The tobacco industry reaps huge benefits from bar and night club sponsorship.
“Bars and clubs are particularly appealing to tobacco companies because, as adult-only venues, they can promote products freely, immune from public criticism. The companies can also target specific users by choosing bars that attract particular demographic markets like an age or ethnic group, or people of certain socioeconomic background. Interestingly, after the ban on smoking in bars in California, we saw little decrease in the number of tobacco industry bar sponsorships. They continued to sponsor bands and concerts, give out prizes such as free trips to Las Vegas, and provide free samples outside of the bars,” comments Tess Boley Cruz, Ph.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Research at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine.

Ethical implications of accepting sponsorship are double-edged.
“The tobacco control community has to be very clear on our position about sponsorship from the industry . . . by accepting tobacco industry money you are helping to promote a dangerous product and are putting the financial health of your organization ahead of the health of the population you are serving. While our position is clear on the issue, it does not mean the implementation of it is easy. Local organizations that are focused on important community issues, such as domestic violence, need money to do their work. Asking these organizations to refuse easy tobacco industry money raises other questions which must be given consideration. Yet, in the end, we must maintain the position that by accepting tobacco industry money, your organization is unwittingly helping the tobacco industry market their deadly product.”
— Tess Boley Cruz, Ph.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Research at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine

Communities can use policies to reduce sponsorship.
“There are a number of ways communities can use policies to eliminate tobacco industry sponsorship. We encourage communities to adopt “model policies” to prohibit tobacco sponsorship. Model policies have been developed for rodeos, fairgrounds, motor sports, and public colleges and universities. These model policies serve as detailed templates for organizations and communities to adopt or adapt to meet their needs. California's Project SMART Money strongly encourages boards of community organizations and events to look for alternative funding sources before the tobacco industry offers up their dollars. This is what we call the “inoculation” method. We currently have signed pledges from more than 431 organizations and venues throughout California stating that they will not accept tobacco industry money,” comments Tonia Hagaman, Program Consultant with the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section. "If a community, venue, or organizational board is not quite ready to address the issue of tobacco sponsorship head-on, we recommend taking some first steps in educating opinion leaders about tobacco industry sponsorship. Local communities may want to begin by working with venues to establish smokefree zones at public events, to prohibit tobacco sampling at events, or to document possible violations of the Master Settlement Agreement around the issues of sponsorship and advertising."

Practical advice for taking action against tobacco industry sponsorship.
“Keep a digital camera in your ‘tool box’ and take pictures of sponsorship activities in your community that violate the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). For example, the MSA dictated that tobacco companies could sponsor one brand promotion per year (e.g. Camel sponsors the Motor Cross). In New York, we looked at matchbooks given out at gas stations. Each matchbook promotes the tobacco company—that’s brand promotion, meaning every matchbook after the first one is a violation. At $1000 per violation, you can see how exposing violations can start to impact the bottom line. So, document, document, document violations and report them your state Attorney General,” says Michael Cummings Ph.D., a Senior Research Scientist and Chair of the Department of Health Behavior in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

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Industry sponsorship and the Lesbian Gay Bi-sexual Transgender (LGBT) community
In the past decade, the tobacco industry has started to reach out to new markets, including the LGBT population. While the research is limited on the issue, recent studies have found higher smoking rates among lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBT) than the general population (Source - Ryan et al. Smoking among lesbians, gays, and bisexuals: A review of the literature, American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2001, 21).

Let’s take a closer look at tobacco industry sponsorship and the LGBT community . . .

• A conversation with Bob Gordon, of the Coalition of Lavender Americans on Smoking and Health
• Tobacco industry documents reveal strategies
• Learn more about tobacco control activities and the LGBT community
• Connect with others through listservs

A conversation with Bob Gordon, of the Coalition of Lavender Americans on Smoking and Health

How does the tobacco industry use sponsorship to target lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities? Can you give us an example?
In 1996, Brown & Williams sponsored Lucky Strike Smoking Lounges at the Folsom Street Fair, a major event for San Francisco’s gay and lesbian community. Lucky Strike logos and imagery were everywhere, and all types of freebies were passed out to the nearly 300,000 people who attended, including visitors from all over the world. Happily, Brown & Williamson’s future sponsorship plans were thwarted after community activists investigated and discovered that local ordinances actually prohibited tobacco promotion on City- and County-owned land.

More recently, the Lucky Strike Smoking Lounges were set up by Brown & Williamson Tobacco at the 2001-2002 Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards—a very high profile, national fundraiser and award ceremony. Absolut Vodka was the main sponsor. Attendees received free vodka drinks and free samples of cigarettes within the Lucky Strike Smoking Lounges. The promoters created a hip ambiance within the Smoking Lounge in order to glamorize smoking. Brown & Williamson also co-opted imagery from Keith Haring, a clearly recognizable artist in the gay and lesbian community, in order to promote their Lucky Strike Brand. Of course, allowing smoking indoors was in direct violation of California state law. The Lucky Strike Lounge situation left activists in our community scratching their heads because GLAAD, an organization committed to the wellbeing of the gay and lesbian community, was in essence accepting sponsorship dollars and allowing the tobacco industry to promote smoking at an important annual event.

As a result, the tobacco company got a letter from the Department of Health and was told that if they planned to set up a smoking lounge at the 2002 event, they would have to do it outside, which they in fact did. In 2003 thanks to the tireless work of activists across the country and a new California law banning the distribution of free samples, we were delighted to learn that GLAAD opted not to have a smoking lounge or run any tobacco ads in its printed program!

These are examples of organizations putting money before health, or what we call an example of “how they get us to screw ourselves,” which is also the title of a humorous film we made on this topic. The premise is that members of our community spend money on tobacco, which ultimately supports conservative politicians who then use their influence to pass anti-gay legislation—it is a cycle that needs to be broken. The challenge is to get lesbians and gays interested in tobacco as an important issue when it is competing with HIV/AIDS, coming out, civil rights, and other tough issues. We need to raise the visibility of the destruction caused by tobacco and we need to do our part by saying “no” to tobacco industry sponsorship.

Can you give us an example of an organization that has successfully rejected tobacco industry sponsorship and lived to tell the tale?
Two well-known examples are the San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee, and the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, both of which had the courage to pass policies years ago.

Also, the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) showed great leadership by becoming the first national gay organization to reject tobacco industry sponsorship. Implementing (and publicizing) this policy sends a clear message to the community that this group wanted to be conscious of how the funding they accept impacts lesbian and gay health. In a 1998 press release announcing the then new policy, GLMA Executive Director Ben Schatz said, "As a non-profit organization, we know first hand that turning down money isn't easy. But if the choice is money or our community's health—we don't believe it's really a choice." This group should be recognized for early adoption of such a policy.

Is there a particular resource you want our readers to know about?
The Coalition of Lavender Americans on Smoking and Health (CLASH) publishes the Ethical Funding Guide: The Ethics of Tobacco, Alcohol and Pharmaceutical Funding. Some of the highlights from this practical guide include the following tips for organizations that face this issue:

• Develop a written policy about tobacco industry sponsorship and advertising. This way, if there is a turnover in leadership at
  your organization, the policy will stay in place. This policy should be in line with the mission of the organization.
• Review sample policies from other organizations. Look at the language and structure of organizations that have already taken
  steps toward crafting and implementing policies on this topic.
• Network with other organizations that have successfully implemented no-tobacco industry sponsorship policies and learn from
  them about gray areas, difficulties, and intermediate steps that they recommend.

Any parting words of advice for people working in other priority populations that also face a disproportionate degree of tobacco industry sponsorship?
Developing and implementing policies that counter tobacco industry sponsorship is a process. Just as quitting smoking can require years of patience and concentration, advocating for this kind of policy change also requires determination and steadfastness. Maintain good relationships with community organizations and emphasize that your goal is to work with them to move together into a healthy future.

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Tobacco industry documents reveal strategies

Clues to industry marketing and sponsorship strategies to the LGBT community can be explored in the tobacco industry documents.

The American Legacy Foundation has highlighted one such document—Project Scum—in a recent media campaign. This document shows how RJ Reynolds planned on boosting sales of their cigarettes in the mid-90s by targeting a new consumer market: gays and homeless people. The project was called "Project Sub Culture Urban Marketing" or "Project SCUM."

Authors of two recent articles have used the internal documents to explore the relationship between the industry and LGBT population. Both provide lessons learned to tobacco control advocates about knowing one’s audience before taking action:

1. From adversary to target market: The ACT-UP boycott of Philip Morris explores the 1990 ACT-UP boycott against
    Philip Morris and Philip Morris’ response that led to the forging of a new positive relationship between Philip Morris and
    the LGBT community.

2. The outing of Philip Morris: Advertising tobacco to gay men explores the origin and reception of the first tobacco
    advertising in the gay press.

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Learn more about tobacco control activities and the LGBT community

Take a look at The National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Centers (NALGBTCC) Tobacco Free Funding Policy

Gay American Smoke Out has compiled information about the LGBT community and tobacco, including the history of tobacco advertising to this community.

NALGBTCC has compiled a collection of “counter-ads” on its Web site: Ways the LGBT Community is Countering Tobacco Industry Advertising.

ttac has produced a presentation on LGBT Populations and Tobacco that includes information on industry marketing and sponsorship and strategies for tobacco control professionals working to decrease tobacco use prevalence among LGBT people. For a free copy of the presentation on CD-ROM, send a request to: ttac@sph.emory.edu

The Healthy People 2010 Companion Document for LGBT Health is a comprehensive review of literature on the state of LGBT health and recommendations, including tobacco use and control.

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Connect with others through listservs

Connect with others through listservs, where tobacco control advocates join together to discuss these issues:

• LGBT Tobacco Prevention Control
• LGBT-talk: Smokefree Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender List

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Dr. Lori Dorfman, Director of the Berkeley Media Studies Group, shared with ttac exchange her thoughts on the relationship between media and sponsorship.

What role do media play in sponsorship in general, and in tobacco industry sponsorship, in particular?
Media are how sponsorship gets expressed. The main goal of sponsorship is to get people to associate the company with something they love—it’s called “innocence by association.” Tobacco companies’ associations with community rodeos are a great example. Rodeos usually have a long history in the community and with the people. A tobacco company from another state loads it up with resources, and in their enthusiasm for the sport, people transfer the association to the company, which they now see as a good guy. The tobacco companies use media—ads in rodeo programs, banners in the arena—to connect themselves visibly to the rodeo.

The direct influence is hard to document, but we know the effect is there for two reasons: the tobacco companies are pouring money into it, and industry documents have evidence of what they thought they would get. Industry documents reveal that these sponsorship opportunities were attractive in terms of (1) targetability (since certain entertainment and sporting events have specific audiences, sponsors can segment the audience); and, (2) image enhancement (it looks like they’re doing a good thing).

How can the tobacco control community leverage the media against tobacco industry sponsorship?
Always start by asking, why do you want media attention? This goes to your prime directive, or what you want to see happen and your strategy. Sometimes your goal will require news attention, sometimes it won’t. For example, if you are asking another group to eliminate tobacco industry sponsorship, you could use the media to draw attention to either of two possible outcomes. If the group does eliminate sponsorship, you could place an ad to congratulate them and to celebrate them because they put health first. Or, if they don’t eliminate tobacco industry sponsorship, you can use the news as a pressure tool and make the conversation public: create news coverage to let the community in on the discussion; this puts the group under watch. You need a solid strategy before you get news attention. It is a common mistake to make noise before knowing what you want to have happen.

Tell us about the importance of framing an issue for the media. Can you give us an example?
Framing is very important in public health because it helps people understand different components of an issue. When framing, we ask: what is the problem, how is it caused, and who is responsible for solving it? In the last 20 years, the framing of tobacco control has shifted. It used to be that the issue was almost exclusively framed as an individual issue dependent on personal responsibility: smoking was the problem, which meant the smoker caused the problem and was the one responsible for fixing it. Public health’s role was to assist the smoker with cessation programs and the like. Since then we have reframed the issue to include the factors beyond the individual, to include the environment in which the individual makes decisions. It’s clear in our language: we no longer say “smoking,” we say “tobacco.” That simple shift reflects a broader understanding of the problem and redirects our search for solutions to the tobacco companies and the government that regulates them.

When should we consider a media strategy?
Media advocacy is used as a tool any time policy change is the goal. You don’t have to educate people first and then change the policy; you can do both at once. In California, many small communities enacted clean indoor policies long before there were education campaigns about secondhand smoke. The papers covered the debates in city councils, including people’s testimonies on reasons why they should have clean indoor air. In the context of the news coverage of the policy debate, people were being educated about the dangers of secondhand smoke. News coverage increases the legitimacy and credibility of the advocates’ point of view. Elected officials hear it directly from their constituents and the same message gets reinforced in news coverage.

In our July issue we covered storytelling. How is storytelling relevant to media advocacy?
Storytelling is extremely important. Journalists tell stories, not issues. Their stories have characters, scenes, and a plot. There is action, controversy, and repercussions. There is meaningful interplay between characters and the storyline is important. Tobacco control advocates should think about who they want their hero to be when they are creating news.

What advice do you have for tobacco control workers embarking on a media strategy?
You have to be clear about your policy goal, and then you have to be practiced at making the case. Practicing out loud is very important because talking is different than thinking or writing. Practicing in the face of challenges is important because this is a complicated case to make. It is not a direct health argument: sponsorship at a sporting event won’t make you sick; it makes tobacco companies look good, which makes it harder for communities to restrict use of tobacco products, which is what hurts our health. The opposition’s arguments are much easier: it’s a legal product, promotions are protected under free speech, and their products are only for people who choose to smoke.

Training is very important for understanding the complexity of the issues and becoming confident in your delivery. Seek training courses and practice out loud with your colleagues. By hearing each others’ answers to tough questions, you can refine and improve what you say, and you can also ensure that your message is a consistent drum beat reinforcing your policy goal.

For an example of media strategies to counter sponsorship, see Bucking Tobacco Sponsorship at Rodeos: Strategies for Media Advocacy and Public Engagement

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• Using the tobacco industry documents to examine sponsorship in the African American Community
• Comments from Bill Robinson, National Chairman, National African American Tobacco Prevention Network

Using the tobacco industry documents to examine sponsorship in the African American Community

ttac exchange spoke with Valerie Yerger and Ruth Malone of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco and asked them about using the tobacco industry documents to examine how the industry targets the African American community through sponsorship.

Why did you choose to look at the relationship between African American leaders and the tobacco industry?
Among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, African Americans bear the greatest burden from tobacco-related disease. The tobacco industry has been highly influential in the African American community for decades, providing funding and other resources to community leaders and emphasizing publicly its support for civil rights causes and groups, while ignoring the negative health effects of its products on those it claims to support. However, the industry’s private business reasons for providing such support were unknown.

What was the main objective of your research into this topic and how did you approach this study to ensure the results would be meaningful?
We wanted to understand how and for what purposes the tobacco industry sought to establish and maintain relationships with African American leaders. To assess this, we reviewed and analyzed of over 700 previously secret internal tobacco industry documents available on the Internet.

What did you find?
The tobacco industry established relationships with virtually every African American leadership organization and built longstanding social connections with the community, for three specific business reasons: to increase African American tobacco use, to use African Americans as a frontline force to defend industry policy positions, and to defuse tobacco control efforts.

Can you recap the history of the tobacco industry’s ties to African American leadership?
In the 1930s, about half of all persons employed in manufacturing positions in the tobacco industry were African American. Philip Morris claims to be the first tobacco company to hire black salesmen, while RJ Reynolds was the first in the industry to desegregate its facilities and integrate production lines. Yet, most blacks were still denied better paying jobs and typically worked in unpleasant conditions. During the 1940s, however, Philip Morris realized that it was possible to identify a distinct market in the black community and began advertising in black publications. Other tobacco companies followed. By the 1950s, the industry’s corporate involvement in the black community was well established. The industry used its relationships with black organizations to recruit African Americans into its workforce, which, in turn, intensified tobacco industry presence in black organizations. Ever since the tobacco industry has worked to retain and nurture an on going connection with virtually every major African American leadership group.

How did the tobacco industry establish and normalize a presence with African American leaders?
Black opinion leaders were researched and sought out by the tobacco industry in order to enhance corporate image and improve market position within African American communities. One industry image-building strategy was to establish an association with the public service efforts of African American organizations. For example, industry documents describe a Philip Morris sponsored symposium focusing on blacks and their civil rights struggle. Tobacco money supported African American civil, educational, social, and political organizations and community leaders elected on local, state, and federal levels. Support included corporate contributions, business expenses, honoraria, journal ads, and promotional items. The amount of support was based on the degree to which the organization was important to the future of the company. In 1989, 70% of Phillip Morris expenditures to minority organizations went to black groups. The industry extracted something in return from organizations that received its money.

What lessons can other communities and priority populations learn from the African American experience?
As the tobacco industry expands its global reach, public health advocates should anticipate similar industry efforts to exploit the vulnerabilities of marginalized groups. The apparent generosity, inclusion, and friendship proffered by the industry extract a price from groups in the health of their members. Helping groups anticipate such efforts, confront industry co-optation, and understand the hidden costs of accepting tobacco industry donations should be part of worldwide tobacco control efforts.

To learn more about Valerie Yerger and Ruth Malone’s research, download a PowerPoint presentation on the study at: http://tobaccocontrol.com/misc/powerpoint.shtml

Comments from Bill Robinson, National Chairman, National African American Tobacco Prevention Network

ttac exchange spoke with Bill Robinson for his thoughts on the tobacco industry’s interest in African Americans.

Are you familiar with the work done by Drs. Yerger and Malone on the ties between African American leaders and the tobacco industry?
Yes. In fact an organization that I’m affiliated with, the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network (NAATPN), is working with them and the University of Dayton Law School to pull abstracts and all industry documents regarding African Americans and tobacco together into a simple database. It’s so difficult—especially for younger tobacco control advocates starting out—to locate and process industry documents. Hopefully by the end of November the centralized resource will be available for national use.

In your opinion, why has the tobacco industry been so effective in targeting the African American community?
The tobacco industry is the most culturally competent business ever created. They do an exceptionally good job of understanding people’s history, culture, and economic situation. The industry is masterful at creating allies, reducing opposition, and co-opting folks by establishing relationships in communities of need. The tobacco industry was one of the first to employ African Americans, offer good paying jobs and opportunities for executive positions—these opportunities did not exist for Blacks on a wide scale basis elsewhere.

Can you give us some examples of the tobacco industry using sponsorship with African American communities?
The industry has a long history of supporting African Americans in sports and education, for instance through scholarships. They also support a range of political, civil, and social groups. Events like the Newport Jazz Festival and the Bill of Rights Traveling Exhibition are sponsored by the tobacco industry. African Americans see the tobacco companies in their communities and mistakenly conclude the companies are good corporate neighbors. They are providing support while they are lying about the health consequences of using their products.

What can tobacco control advocates do to beat the tobacco industry at this game?
It’s proven effective to make historical comparisons between the tobacco industry and other community exploiters. California had a campaign with a simple slogan that had a big impact on African Americans. It simply read, “Smoking is Slavery.” These three words resonated more than any report, chart or graph ever could because it tapped into our collective historical and cultural experience. I would advise people to not be afraid to be as bold and forthcoming. In South Carolina, this approach was seen as going too far from those outside of our communities, but the campaign was extremely effective with African Americans, here and elsewhere.

As I have argued many times, we need to include the same types of aggressive tactics that the tobacco industry is using against us. At the moment, we’re not even in the same game—we’re like a high school team trying to play against the pros. We are fighting an industry that has made it their business to understand different cultures. We need to be structured in the same way: we need input from people of different races, genders, ages, etc. The American Legacy Foundation has done an excellent job of structuring in this way, but tobacco control, in general, is still not doing a great job of this.

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Want to counter tobacco industry sponsorship in your community? Learn from others who are committed to this goal.

Project SMART Money
While national resources are still emerging on this issue, Project SMART (SMART: Sponsorship Mission: Avoid Reliance on Tobacco) Money (PS$) has been on the forefront of countering tobacco industry sponsorship in California and would like to help others across the country build their capacity to eliminate tobacco industry sponsorship. PS$ is a partnership between the California Department of Health Services, the California Office of the Attorney General, university researchers, and community level programs. The project is centered on two purposes: 1) enforcing prohibitions established by the Master Settlement Agreement with regard to tobacco industry sponsorship; and 2) the adoption of voluntary policies by the boards of local events, venues, and organizations prohibiting the acceptance of tobacco industry sponsorship.

PS$ can help local organizations by: 1) providing phone technical assistance and 2) distributing materials developed to help counter industry sponsorship. Materials are distributed through a variety of sources including the California Department of Health Services Tobacco Control Section, the Public Health Institute Technical Assistance Legal Center, and the Tobacco Education Clearinghouse of California (TECC) (some materials require a nominal cost).

To support the development and adoption of organizational policies prohibiting the acceptance of tobacco industry dollars, PS$ disseminates the following tools:

• Corporate Giving Toolkit,
• Rodeo Toolkit, a kit for tobacco control advocates,
• Tack and Tools, a companion piece targeting rodeo event organizers,
• Racing Toolkit,
• Protect Your Profitability, a brochure targeting fair grounds and rodeo grounds,
• Model policies on sponsorship and smokefree grounds/areas for rodeos, fairgrounds, and racetracks, and
• An index of CA organizations with sponsorship policies (431 organizations to date, listed by type of organization).

In addition, to help monitor whether tobacco companies are complying with the sponsorship terms of the MSA, PS$ distributes the following resources:

• Two brochures which outline MSA requirements: Tobacco Industry Settlement – Youth Marketing Restrictions and Tobacco
   Industry Settlement – Brand Name Sponsorship Restrictions,
• An Event Observation Form which lists potential MSA violations,
• A Bar Event Observation Form,
• A Pre/Post Event Checklist, and
• A Photo Tip Sheet.

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ttac is committed to equipping the tobacco control community with the information and tools necessary to effectively reduce tobacco use.

Get the facts from ttac!

• Click here to view information on How the Master Settlement Agreement has changed tobacco industry sponsorship.
• Click here to view information on the Tobacco industry sponsorship of rodeos and auto racing.

ttac has access to a large cadre of consultants and can readily link your program with those who specialize in community organizing; in developing communication plans, stories, and leadership; and a variety of other areas.

Specifically, ttac can:

• Facilitate ongoing dialogue between researchers and tobacco control programs
• Provide quick access to information
• Provide a news summary of recently published research
• Assist in developing effective communication strategies and messaging
• Reference relevant documents, articles and links for each topic of ttac exchange and extra!

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• Tools
• General resources on sponsorship
• Group-specific resources on sponsorship
• Straight to the source
• Finding more evidence on sponsorship

Link here to view resources located on the ttac Web site.

Tools

Accepting Funds from the Tobacco Industry: Guidance for Collaboration with the Private Sector
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/research_data/legal_policy/accepting_fund.htm
CDC has developed its own criteria for collaborating with the private sector that might be of assistance to national, state and local agencies. These criteria provide guidance to CDC’s Centers, Institutes and Offices (CIOs) in assessing the appropriateness of a partnership with an outside agency, organization, or industry.

Buck Tobacco Sponsorship
http://www.bucktobacco.org/
The Buck Tobacco Sponsorship project Web site provides information about how to eliminate tobacco sponsorship at California rodeos and related events such as rodeo-themed "bar nights." Specific resources include campaign materials, a report of strategies for media advocacy and engagement, and a literature review on bar and rodeo promotions and the details of smokeless tobacco rodeo sponsorship efforts.

The Ethics of Tobacco, Alcohol, & Pharmaceutical Funding: A Practical Guide for LGBT Organizations
http://www.gaysmokeout.net/docs/EthicalFundingForLGBTOrganizations.pdf
Provides background information and sample guidelines to facilitate the adoption of written policies to guide and support the fundraising efforts of LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations.

Model Guidelines for Nonprofits: Evaluating Proposed Relationships with Other Organizations
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0151.pdf
Developed by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, these guidelines for nonprofits are intended to address the most common practical and ethical concerns raised by relationships with and contributions from other organizations.

Project SMART Money
Project SMART Money (PS$) has been in the vanguard of countering tobacco industry sponsorship in California and would like to help others across the country build the capacity to eliminate tobacco industry sponsorship. PS$ can help local organizations by: 1) providing phone technical assistance and 2) distributing materials developed to help counter industry sponsorship.

Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC)
http://www.talc.phi.org/
The California TALC Web site provides model organizational policies for prohibiting tobacco sponsorship in various settings, including public colleges and universities, fraternities and sororities, motor sports, and rodeos. TALC also distributes a fact sheet with MSA sponsorship and advertising restrictions.

Tobacco Industry Donations: How Taking Money from the Tobacco Industry Helps Sell More Cigarettes, and Costs More Lives
http://www.cqct.qc.ca/Documents_docs/DOCU_03_05_00_DonsENG.PDF
Developed by the Coalition Québécoise Pour Le Controle Du Tabac, this resource encourages Canadian organizations to adopt policies not to accept tobacco industry sponsorship, by outlining the implications of accepting those funds.

Why Should AAPI Organizations Give Up Their Tobacco Industry Monies?
http://www.aapcho.com/links/Sponsorship3-02.pdf
Developed by Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment and Leadership (APPEAL), this fact sheet targeting AAPI organizations outlines why they should not accept funds from tobacco companies.

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General Resources on Tobacco Industry Sponsorship

Altria Means Tobacco: Philip Morris’s Identity Crisis
http://www.altriameanstobacco.com/LibbySmith.pdf
This 2003 article exposes Philip Morris’ strategy to improve its public image by changing its name. Philanthropic activities are discussed as part of its public relations strategy to become a more “responsible corporate citizen.” The article includes tactics and messages for advocates to countering the industry. A Powerpoint Presentation summarizing this article is available as well.

Cigarette Bar Promotions
http://roswell.tobaccodocuments.org/bar_promotions_home.htm
Roswell Park provides this resource on articles and bar promotion activity.

Counteracting tobacco Motor Sports Sponsorship as a Promotional Tool: Is the Tobacco Settlement Enough?
http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/tobaccocomments2/motorsports.pdf
This study sought to quantify television advertising exposure achieved by tobacco companies through sponsorship of motor sports events. Despite a federal ban on tobacco advertising on television, tobacco companies achieve the equivalent of more than $150 million in television advertising per year through their sponsorship of motor sports events. The Master Settlement Agreement likely will do little to address this problem.

Fact sheet on the Upcoming Ban on the Promotion of Tobacco Products Through Sponsorship Initiatives
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/tobacco/legislation/factsheet.html
This fact sheet outlines Health Canada’s ban on tobacco company sponsorship promotions including those associated with cultural and sporting events. This ban goes into effect October 1, 2003. It should be noted that the Act will not prohibit tobacco companies from supporting cultural and sporting organizations and events. Rather, it is simply banning the promotion of such sponsorship.

Tobacco Industry and Corporate Responsibility...An Inherent Contradiction
http://www.who.int/tobacco/media/en/tob-industry.pdf
This report prepared by the Tobacco Free Initiative of the World Health Organization outlines how tobacco companies have joined the corporate social responsibility movement, but that the goals of this movement are at odds with the mission of tobacco companies--the marketing and sale of tobacco products.

Tobacco Sponsorship of Sport
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/advspo/html/sportssponsor.html
This fact sheet, commissioned from ASH by the World Health Organisation, shows the extent of tobacco’s sponsorship of world sport. It contains examples from every continent. The fact sheet also gives some examples of sports, and countries, which have decided to go smoke-free.

Use of Corporate Sponsorship as a Tobacco Marketing Tool: A Review of Tobacco Industry Sponsorship in the USA, 1995-99
http://tc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/10/3/239
This article funded by the American Cancer Society describes the nature and extent of tobacco company sponsorship of events, activities, and organizations in the United States during a five-year period. The category with the highest amount of sponsorship funding was motor sports, followed by hunger programs.

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Group Specific Resources On Sponsorship

African American Leadership Groups: Smoking with the Enemy.
http://tc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/11/4/336
The authors of this 2002 Tobacco Control article found that the tobacco industry established relationships with virtually every African American leadership organization and built longstanding social connections with the community, for three specific business reasons: to increase African American tobacco use, to use African Americans as a frontline force to defend industry policy positions, and to defuse tobacco control efforts. A Powerpoint Presentation summarizing this article is available as well.

Burning Love: Big Tobacco Takes Aim at LGBT Youths
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/92/7/1086
This American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) article discusses the tobacco industry's targeted marketing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth, and this population segment's smoking rates and patterns, with references to internal industry documents. The article also briefly describes the industry's targeting of African Americans, which included philanthropic giving and employment opportunities.

Marketing to America’s Youth: Evidence from Corporate Documents
http://tc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/11/suppl_1/i5
Authors of this 2002 Tobacco Control article examined internal tobacco document to uncover industry marketing activities to youth and young adults. Marketing tactics included promotions at bars, racing events, and spring break events.

Smooth Moves: Bar and Nightclub Tobacco Promotions that Target Young Adults.
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/92/3/414
The authors of this AJPH article analyzed internal documents to examine the tobacco industry's use of bars and nightclubs to encourage smoking among young adults. They found that tobacco industry bar and nightclub promotions in the 1980s and 1990s included aggressive advertising, tobacco brand—sponsored activities, and distribution of samples.

Targeting of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by the Tobacco Industry: Results from the Minnesota Tobacco Document Depository
http://tc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/11/3/201
The authors examined internal documents to examine how tobacco companies reached out to the AAPI community. Comprehensive campaigns were designed to integrate promotion efforts in AAPI consumer, retail, and business communities. Strategies included developing special business relationships with AAPI retail owners, promotions at community festivals, and corporate giving to AAPI organizations.

Tobacco-Free Sponsorship Policy Final Report
http://www.apiahf.org/programs/apiten_archive/SponsorshipPolicy_report.pdf
Prepared by the Asian & Pacific Islander Tobacco Education Network (APITEN), this report looks at the outcomes of APITEN efforts to educate AAPI community-based organizations about tobacco industry sponsorship.

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Straight to the Source

Find specifics on industry activities on their websites. Corporate giving is highlighted on tobacco company websites as part of public relations activities:

Altria (the parent company of Philip Morris)
http://www.altria.com
Altria highlights its community contributions in a section called Responsibility/Contributions. Altria has developed a paper, The Altria Family Of Companies: Actively Engaged In Community Enrichment For More Than Four Decades that features its funding in the area of arts, hunger, domestic violence, environment, AIDS, etc. Going directly to the Philip Morris website, one can also find details on “community involvement.”

RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJRT)
http://www.rjrt.com
RJRT features community involvement activities in a section under Inside RJRT/How We Think/Community Involvement. Details include community involvement in education, economic development, and other community projects in North Carolina. They have also produced a glossy brochure.

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Find More Evidence On Sponsorship

Americans for Non-smokers Rights (ANR) Foundation Tobacco Industry Tracking Database
http://www.no-smoke.org/tidbase.html
Search ANR’s database that tracks industry activity to find news stories and internal documents on industry sponsorship activities of concerts, rodeos, county fairs, research, minority leadership groups, etc.

Legacy Tobacco Documents Library
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/
Search the internal industry documents to find information on sponsorship activities.

Tobacco.org
http://www.tobacco.org
Track the latest news on tobacco industry sponsorship and how advocates are countering activities in Daily Tobacco News Summaries. Go to the Philanthropy/Funding category for summaries on corporate giving activities. Search the Advertising/Promos category for industry promotion of sports, arts, bars, and more.

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Tess Boley Cruz
Assistant Professor of Research
University of Southern California
Keck School of Medicine

Michael Cummings
Senior Research Scientist and Chair of the Department of Health Behavior
Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences
Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Lori Dorfman
Director
Berkeley Media Studies Group

Bob Gordon
Volunteer
Coalition of Lavender Americans on Smoking and Health

Tonia Hagaman
Program Consultant
California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section

Debra Kelley
Vice President of Government Relations
American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties

Valerie B. Yerger
Assistant Researcher
Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, School of Nursing
Center for Tobacco Control Education & Research
University of California, San Francisco

Ruth E. Malone
Associate Professor
Director, Masters Specialty in Health Policy Program
Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, School of Nursing
Center for Tobacco Control Education & Research
University of California, San Francisco

William S. Robinson
National Chairman
National African American Tobacco Prevention Network

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We are especially interested in hearing about local and state level tobacco control activities.

If you have a story to tell about topics in upcoming issues of ttac exchange or extra!, contact us at exchange@ttac.org.

Look for the latest in cessation and read about innovations in youth tobacco control in upcoming issues of extra!

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Colorado
Colorado Youth uncovered the real story at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. To read all about our experiences, please go to www.getrealcolorado.com

Katy Kupecz, MPH
Director of Youth Programs, State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment

Maryland
I am glad to see this latest edition of ttac focus on the "story telling." We train cessation specialists and created an activity called "creative epidemiology." It makes the health care professionals look at statistics in a whole new way and understand what really makes an individual pay attention. We have had some great ideas as a result. I have forwarded your newsletter to my list-serv (220 trained individuals) to help them further with this idea--thank you.

Debra Kubecka
Director of Advocacy
American Lung Association of Maryland

Washington
I have been active as a storyteller for 21 years and use folk tales, myths, legends, personal stories and literary tales in my work as a prevention specialist.

An example of one of the stories I tell related to tobacco (and other forms of substance abuse) can be read on my web site at: http://www.dancingleaves.com/allison/stories/snakes_jive/snakes_jive.html.

This year, New Society Publishers released the two volume set of the Healing Heart books. I am the co-editor and one of 66 contributors of stories, articles, exercises and resources for applying storytelling to encourage individuals, families and communities toward healthier lives. Information about these books and the table of contents can be viewed at:
http://www.dancingleaves.com/allison/books/books.html

Kudos for spreading the word about this important tool in health promotion and disease prevention!

Allison Cox
Vashon, WA

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ttac exchange Staff

Aliki P. Weakland, MPH, MSW
  Editor in Chief

Samantha Helfert, MLS
  Information Specialist

JoAnn Weiss, MPH, MA
  Writer/Researcher

Lisbeth Klau, MPH
Writer/Researcher

Notice: All email sent to or from the ttac exchange and extra! email system may be retained, monitored, and/or reviewed by ttac personnel.

The viewpoints expressed in ttac exchange and extra! do not necessarily represent those of ttac funding organizations.