Business as Usual for Tobacco Industry
Marlboro Products Marketed to
Families, Children at Ohio State Fair

DUBLIN, Ohio, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ via Individual Inc. The
following release is being issued by TobaccoFree Ohio:

While Congress debates a settlement between the state attorneys
general and the tobacco industry, which seeks to reduce teen smoking,
it's business as usual for the tobacco industry.

Philip Morris USA has set up a booth at the 1997 Ohio State Fair to
promote its Marlboro tobacco products and promotional items.
According to TobaccoFree Ohio, it's this type of marketing that
influences young people to smoke. An average of 3,000 teens start
smoking every day.

"I thought the Ohio State Fair was a family event and yet the tobacco
industry is allowed to market its deadly product and promotional gear
hoping to addict more children," stated Michelle Chippas, project
director for TobaccoFree Ohio. Just as early as March, the Liggett
Group admitted that tobacco is addictive, causes major health
problems and that the tobacco industry has intentionally marketed its
products to children for years.

Tobacco kills more Americans each year than alcohol, cocaine, crack,
heroin, car crashes, homicide, suicides, fires and AIDS combined. In
Ohio, 18,000 die annually due to tobacco related illnesses. According
to the Ohio Department of Health, direct health care costs in Ohio
attributable to smokingrelated diseases exceeded $764 million
annually in 19901991.

"It's hypocritical for the state to sue the tobacco industry to
recoup the millions of dollars Ohio has spent treating smoking
related illnesses through Medicaid and other sources, while the Ohio
Expositions Commission allows Philip Morris to promote its lethal
product at a family event," Chippas said.

In 1993, health advocates were able to prevent the Ohio Exposition
Commission from accepting $40,000 in sponsorship money from Philip
Morris USA, producer of Marlboro cigarettes, to set a tent at the
Ohio State Fair to distribute their tobacco products and promotional
items.

TobaccoFree Ohio is a collaborative effort between the American
Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung
Association and the Ohio Department of Health. One of TobaccoFree
Ohio's goals is to reduce tobacco consumption by youth.

SOURCE Tobacco Free Ohio

/CONTACT: Michelle Chippas of TobaccoFree Ohio, 6147602848,
or after hours, 6147988750; or Jennifer Tisone Price, of the
American
Lung Assn., 6142791700, or after hours, 6144810232; or Allison
Dubbs, of the American Heart Assn., 6148486676, or after hours,
6144879146, or Cheryl Elliott, of the American Cancer Society,
pager,
6146050424/

[Copyright 1997, PR Newswire]


Jim Katz
CTO iTradeZone,Inc.

Using Clarion for Windows
Always looking for the simpler solution.