Don't be fooled by the tobacco industry's latest strategies to mislead the public and take the spotlight away form its deceitful past and the deadly health risks posed by its products. The tobacco industry lied about tobacco being addictive. They lied about marketing to specific ethnic groups, to women and to kids!
As we all know, the tobacco industry's reputation continues to suffer even further as decades of lies and public deception are uncovered. As a result, the tobacco industry is scrambling to find creative ways to buy respect among the public and policymakers, while shifting attention away from the fact that it continues to make and sell a product that kills hundred of thousands of our friends and loved ones every year.
One way the tobacco industry is attempting to manipulate public opinion is by launching extensive public relations and corporate-giving campaigns. The tobacco industry is trying to purchase the good reputations of community organizations. One tobacco company, for example, launched a $100 million advertising campaign to promote its donations to community organizations. The strategies behind these campaigns are consistent with the tobacco industry's long history of deceptive marketing tactics - giving money to local groups allows tobacco companies to buy the good reputations of these groups and hide behind their respected names.
In return for its donations, the tobacco industry hopes organizations support its agendas. In addition, the tobacco industry hopes to manipulate public perception and mislead people into believing it has changed by aggressively publicizing its donations to local organizations striving to help those in need.
But the "goodwill" campaign of the tobacco industry is specifically designed to distract your attention from the company's role in creating and marketing a product that - when used as directed -- kills.
Want more information about what you can do? Call the County of Sacramento Tobacco Education Program at (916) 875-5869 or visit the following websites.
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