American Legacy Foundation, American Cancer Society, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids join forces to highlight tobacco company’s

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 25, 2001) – The American Legacy Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids will run a new ad this week in major newspapers to condemn a Philip Morris report that tells the government of the Czech Republic that smoking-related deaths have a “positive” impact on the nation’s budget.

The ad shows a corpse with a toe tag on its left leg. Copy appears on the tag that reads: “$1,227. That’s how much a study sponsored by Philip Morris said the Czech Republic saves on health care, pensions, and housing every time a smoker dies.”

Philip Morris commissioned the report after concerns were raised in the Czech Republic about the high costs of providing health care to its citizens suffering from smoking-related diseases.

The report cited the “early mortality” caused by cigarette smoking and adds up how much premature death saves the Czech government in eldercare costs. The report concludes that “Public finance saved between 943 million CZK and 1.193 million CZK (between about $23-$30 million) from reduced health care costs, savings on pensions and housing costs for the elderly—all related to the early mortality of smokers.”

The ad was prepared by Legacy’s ad agency, Arnold Worldwide of Boston. It will appear in The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, and The Washington Post on Thursday, July 26, and newspapers in other markets in the following days.

Cheryl Healton, Dr.P.H., President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Legacy Foundation, said: “Philip Morris was the best performing Dow Jones stock last year. While the company got richer, its customers got sicker and died from smoking its addictive products. Nicotine addiction is the grist for the tobacco industry’s money-making machine. Philip Morris knows this. The Czech report is merely the latest proof that Big Tobacco hasn’t morphed into Mr. Nice Guy, despite Philip Morris’s claims to the contrary.”

John R. Seffrin, Ph. D., Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society, said: “Philip Morris’s motto these days is ‘working to make a difference’ in people’s lives, but this ad sets the

record straight. It informs people that Philip Morris continues to manipulate public perception with little regard to human life.”

Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said: “Philip Morris’s study shows that it is still prepared to trade lives for profit. This study is a warning to policymakers that Philip Morris has not changed and cannot be trusted when it says it wants to play a constructive role in tobacco policy.”

The American Legacy Foundation is a national, independent, public health foundation created by the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. The foundation collaborates with organizations interested in decreasing tobacco consumption among all ages and populations nationwide and has established goals to reduce youth tobacco use, decrease exposure to secondhand smoke, increase successful quit rates and reduce disparities in access to prevention and cessation services and in exposure to secondhand smoke.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. For information about cancer, call toll-free anytime 1-800-ACS-2345, or visit the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer.org.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is an advocacy organization that works to protect children from tobacco addiction and exposure to secondhand smoke and to reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco use.

For a jpeg of the ad, contact Mary Herdoiza at the number above.

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View the ad prepared by the American Legacy Foundation that the Campaign has signed on to, along with the American Cancer Society. (Format: PDF - Size: 900 KB)