New York, NY, November 2, 2006 – The Citizens’ Commission to Protect the Truth, a group of all former U.S. Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare and of Health and Human Services, all former U.S. Surgeons General, and all former Directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has demanded that the five major U.S. television networks stop airing the Philip Morris “Talk. They’ll Listen.” advertising campaign.  A new study in the American Journal of Public Health finds that these so-called “youth anti-smoking commercials” actually encourage teens to smoke.

In this letter to the network heads, the Citizens’ Commission says, “These ads are in direct violation of 15 USC Sec. 1335, which prohibits the advertising of cigarettes on television. The purpose of that prohibition is, among other things, to deny tobacco merchants access to the medium watched by virtually all children.”

Letters were mailed today to Anne Sweeney, President, Disney Television Group; Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation; Dawn Ostroff, President, CW Television Network; Jack Abernethy, CEO, FOX Broadcasting Company; and Jeff Zucker, CEO, NBC Universal Television Group.

“This study demonstrates that relying on Philip Morris to encourage kids not to smoke is akin to relying on Dracula to encourage people not to drink blood,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Commission chairman and the former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.  “Philip Morris is in the business of selling cigarettes and cannot be trusted to discourage people from buying its product.”

“Ending smoking by American children and teens is crucial to the health of our nation,” said Louis Sullivan, M.D., President Emeritus of the Morehouse School of Medicine, Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George H.W. Bush and a member of the Citizens’ Commission.  “If Philip Morris is serious about reducing youth smoking rates, they should take the advertising dollars spent on their so called anti-smoking ads and give them to the only proven effective youth anti-smoking campaign, truth®.”

The body of the letter to the network executives reads:

We are writing on behalf of The Citizens’ Commission to Protect the Truth, a group composed of all former U.S. Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare and of Health and Human Services, all former U.S. Surgeons General, and all former Directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from every administration, Republican and Democrat, over the past 40 years.  This is the first time such a distinguished group of public health officials has united, and we have done so with one goal in mind: to end smoking by America’s children and teens and to support the American Legacy Foundation’s truth® campaign, the most effective youth smoking prevention campaign in history.

A new study made available this week by the American Journal of Public Health demonstrates that the Philip Morris so-called “youth anti-smoking commercials” actually encourage teens to smoke. The study, Impact of Televised Tobacco Industry Smoking Prevention Advertising on Youth Smoking-Related Beliefs, Intentions and Behavior, concludes that 10th and 12th grade children who view the Philip Morris parent-targeted advertisements perceive smoking to be less harmful and exhibit a greater likelihood of smoking. A copy of the study is enclosed. 

The study’s conclusions reveal the Philip Morris ads for what they really are: wolves in sheep’s clothing. These commercials send subliminal messages that encourage children to purchase and smoke cigarettes, and imply that smoking is just fine for adults. This is not surprising, since Philip Morris is in the business of selling cigarettes, has increased the nicotine content of cigarettes to make them more addictive, and cannot be trusted to discourage people from buying its product.  These ads are in direct violation of 15 USC Sec. 1335, which prohibits the advertising of cigarettes on television. The purpose of that prohibition is, among other things, to deny tobacco merchants access to the medium watched by virtually all children.

On behalf of the Citizens’ Commission to Protect the Truth, we demand that you remove this cigarette advertising from your network. Every day 4,000 children start to smoke and 1,500 get hooked. We believe that these ads are responsible for many of these children beginning to smoke, and it is imperative that they be pulled before they do more harm. We urge you to honor your responsibility to make sure that the public’s airwaves are not used to promote smoking, especially by America’s children.

Contact: Lauren Duran, 212-841-5306, media@protectthetruth.org