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2001/06/01 -RJ Reynolds decision to retire the Joe
Camel character in their advertising comes years too late,
according to
American Cancer Society Chairman of the Board George Dessart.
"RJR wants
the public to believe they are serious about not marketing their
product to
kids, but given their past behavior, why should the public
believe anything
they say?"
"Old Joe Camel has been a successful marketing tool to lead
our
children toward a lifelong addiction to cigarettes," said
Dessart. Since
Joe Camel was introduced as the icon of Camel cigarettes almost
ten years
ago, the market share for Camel among children jumped from 3
percent to 13
percent.
"It is only due to the Federal Trade Commission's
investigation of RJR
for unfair trade practices, state lawsuits against the industry,
the threat
of Food and Drug Administration jurisdiction over advertising
and public
outrage that Old Joe is finally being retired," said Dessart.
"They said
that Joe would disappear from billboards around Christmas time,
but they
never fulfilled that promise."
"We expect their new marketing campaign 'What You're
Looking For' is
just another way to addict future generations to deadly tobacco
products,"
Dessart said. "The American public must remember that the
industry needs
to recruit new smokers to replace those who die from using their
deadly
products, and should carefully scrutinize and challenge all
tobacco
promotions to ensure they are not creative new ways to hook our
kids."
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