Tobacco Policy Yardstick
Information is from AAFP tobacco media kit.
To help American families, final legislation must measure up to the following criteria:
End tobacco use by children, with a specific timetable and stiff financial penalties for tobacco companies if they fail to meet targeted reductions.
Reduce tobacco use by adults. The tobacco industry must not be allowed to shift its advertising and marketing practices from teens to young adults.
Allow victims to seek reparations with no legal immunity for the tobacco industry.
Require full disclosure of all documents related to the harmful effects of nicotine.
Ensure that the Food and Drug Administration has unrestricted authority to regulate all tobacco products.
You can help!
Academy urges action on tobacco legislation
Despite the tobacco industry's withdrawal from legislative negotiations, the Academy is encouraging Congress to continue working for a comprehensive tobacco control bill. A strong grassroots campaign and a new AAFP media kit could help convince lawmakers to move forward with real reform.
Help clear the smoke. Contact your representatives in Congress and let them know how tobacco has hurt your patients. Remind them that tobacco kills more than 400,000 Americans every year, and more people die from tobacco use than from AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, drugs and fires combined. Tell lawmakers that you oppose their use of tobacco industry money to fund campaigns and you support strong legislation that targets youth and adult tobacco use. For information on contacting your representatives, call the AAFP Washington Office toll-free at (888) 794-7481.
Media education. The Academy's new tobacco media kit will be distributed to local and regional media in the Washington area to provide them with details on the tobacco debate.
The kit includes provisions the AAFP believes are essential for tobacco legislation (see Tobacco Policy Yardstick at right), and it encourages reporters and editors to use the Academy as a source of reliable information. The kit also features a useful historical perspective with quotes from tobacco industry leaders.
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department. Copyright © 1998 by American Academy of Family Physicians.