Big tobacco foes blast Miss America smokescreen

Big tobacco foes blast Miss America smokescreen
By Laura Crimaldi

The nation’s second-biggest cigarette maker is sending Miss America hopefuls into schools to stop kids from lighting up, but anti-smoking groups want the pageant beauties to clean the Big Tobacco tarnish off their crowns.
“Our concern is that Miss America’s association with R.J. Reynolds is causing harm because it’s diverting attention from the need for fundamental changes from R.J. Reynolds,” said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “R.J. Reynolds is using Miss Massachusetts.”
Since 2002, R.J. Reynolds, whose brands include Camel, Winston and Doral, has awarded the winners of Miss America state pageants $5,000 to bring its youth anti-smoking campaign, “Right Decisions, Right Now” into middle schools.
“I think it’s kind of sad that they are criticizing us for doing something that is positive in the community,” said Miss Massachusetts Kristin Gauvin, who is visiting at least 20 middle schools this year with the anti-smoking message on R.J. Reynolds’ dime. “There are no other funds that are coming into the state of Massachusetts . . . if we were not given this grant from R.J. Reynolds, who would give us the money to do this presentation?”
R.J. Reynolds has expanded the Miss America program into 29 states so far. The company provides the state pageant winners with materials and funding, but it does not dictate their message, said David Howard, an R.J. Reynolds spokesman.
“Considering that the tobacco industry spends more in one week to promote their products in Massachusetts than the state spends in one year to prevent their use, the American Cancer Society does not believe that tobacco companies such as R.J. Reynolds are the ideal candidates for youth tobacco control,” Jennifer Cruickshank, a spokeswoman for the organization’s New England division.
Source: http://news.bostonherald.com/national/view.bg?articleid=131748

---

TKPN
PageantCast Home
Frappr Map
Podcast Pickle Page
Our Feed
One Click Subscribe in Juice
One Click Subscribe in iTunes