Truth is the largest youth-focused anti-tobacco education campaign
ever, and many experts see it as the only campaign to have a significant impact
in reducing the number of American teenagers who use tobacco. This campaign
is crucial to saving lives, but it is in jeopardy of ending. The 1998 Master
Settlement Agreement required the big tobacco companies to make payments
to the Public Education Fund, which in turn funded the Truth campaign. However,
in March 2003 those payments stopped. The Citizens Commission to Protect
the Truth came together to persuade the tobacco companies to continue funding
the campaign, because the truth is, this campaign works.
Data
collected shows that:
- 75 percent of all 12 to 17 year olds in the nation,
21 million, can accurately describe one or more of the truth ads.
-
nearly 90 percent, 25 million, said the ad they saw was convincing.
-
85 percent, 24 million, said the ad gave them good reasons not to smoke.
To
support this campaign, Phi Theta Kappa is encouraging chapter and regional
officers to visit www.protectthetruth.org
and sign the petition today. By telling others about the campaign, you also
help the commission reach its goal of one million signatures.
For
more information, contact the American Cancer Society at 1.800.ACS.2345
or visit www.cancer.org
