According to research published in the March 2005 American Journal of Public Health, the American Legacy Foundation’s national “truth” youth smoking prevention campaign accelerated the decline in youth smoking rates between 2000 and ’02. The report titled “Evidence of a Dose-Response Relationship between ‘truth’ Anti-smoking Ads and Youth Smoking” found that in the first two years of the Legacy campaign, youths who were exposed to a greater number of “truth” ads were less likely to smoke. The campaign–based on creative from Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami, and Arnold Worldwide, Boston–helped accelerate the overall decline in youth smoking by 22 percent during that time. That translates into some 300,000 fewer youth smokers in ’02.
So we welcomed with great relief last month’s Delaware Chancery Court rejection of a Lorillard Tobacco claim that could have jeopardized funding for the good work of the American Legacy Foundation.
Lorillard contended that the “truth” fare vilified the tobacco industry and thus violated terms of the $206 billion settlement tobacco companies reached with state attorneys general in 1988. Legacy was created with funds from that settlement in ’99.
The court’s decision protects the foundation’s access to millions of dollars from the historic settlement, enabling Legacy to continue running anti-smoking ads. Launched in February ’00, “truth” is the largest national youth smoking prevention campaign and the only national campaign not directed by the tobacco industry. The campaign exposes the tactics of Big Tobacco, the truth about addiction, and the health effects and social consequences of smoking.
In his ruling, Stephen P. Lamb, vice chancellor of the Delaware Chancery Court, said, “None of the ads subject the [tobacco industry] employees to the type of contemptuous language contained in other case law discussing vilification. These are not scurrilous and vitriolic attacks. There is no cruel slander–Although the employees may be described, either explicitly or implicitly, as liars, greedy executives, or authors of embarrassing documents, the ads do not vilify them.”
Lamb further noted that the spots frequently use humor to engage viewers. “These ads clearly use preposterous situations as an attention-getting mechanism to contrast historical misrepresentations from the tobacco industry with current knowledge about the dangers of tobacco products.”
Big Tobacco is expected to appeal the decision. However, for the moment, it’s a ruling that not only is a victory for free speech but also for human life. Some 80 percent of smokers try their first cigarette before the age of 18, with one-third to one-half going on to become regular smokers. Tobacco-related disease claims the lives of more than 430,000 Americans annually, making it the single largest cause of preventable death in the U.S.
Vermont attorney general William Sorrell, who is chair of the Legacy board of directors, stated, “We know that ‘truth’ works–now we can continue to provide a proven antidote to the national tobacco epidemic.”
Dr. Steven Schroeder, former chair of the Legacy board of directors, said, “The ‘truth’ campaign will one day go down in the annals of public health history for saving millions of young lives from tobacco addiction and premature death.”