The American Cancer Society, American Heart and Stroke Association, and American Lung Association of Oregon send out alert to Oregonians, warning of tobacco companies’ dirty campaign tactics in other states.

(PORTLAND) – Today, the Healthy Kids Oregon Campaign launched its first web ad in support of Ballot Measure 50, which would provide health coverage to Oregon’s 100,000 uninsured children. The humorous spot, which is available on the Healthy Kids website (www.healthykids-oregon.org) or on You Tube, depicts Big Tobacco as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” The American Cancer Society, American Heart and Stroke Association, and American Lung Association of Oregon issued their own warning to Oregonians today, telling them to watch out for unscrupulous campaign tactics by the tobacco industry.

Big tobacco is expected to spend big money trying to persuade Oregon voters to reject the measure. Two new PACS, funded by Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds, recently filed with the Secretary of State. Tobacco companies spent $100 million last year to oppose similar measures in other states.

“Big tobacco will do, say, and spend anything to protect their profits. Their tactics in other states were consistently deceitful and negative, and Oregonians have the right to know about it” said Courtni Dresser of the American Cancer Society.

HealthVote.org, a non-partisan resource that tracks and evaluates health care-related ballot measures in California, found the majority of campaign ads placed by tobacco-funded opposition were misleading.

In addition to deceptive attack ads, other questionable campaign tactics included misrepresenting the position of community leaders and organizations by making supporters look like opponents and employing community members to misstate community impacts. In one instance, the tobacco industry went so far as to claim increasing tobacco taxes would profit terrorists. (Inside Bay Area, “Foes call Prop. 86 Terrorists’ Fundraisers,” August 6, 2006).

“We know they’re going to use those same dirty tricks here in Oregon, ” said Dresser. “We want Oregonians to be prepared and remember that, to tobacco companies, lying is almost as addictive as cigarettes.”

In 1994, the CEOs of seven major tobacco companies told Congress, under oath, that they did not believe nicotine was addictive. In subsequent years, internal tobacco company documents revealed the companies’ long-standing treatment of nicotine as an addictive drug.

“Big tobacco might be able to outspend us , but they don’t have enough money to buy credibility with Oregonians” Cathy Kaufmann, Policy Director for Children First for Oregon and member of the Healthy Kids Oregon campaign, a broad coalition of Oregon child and health advocates, doctors, nurses, tobacco prevention experts, parents, and taxpayers. “Oregonians are smart enough to know that the only real concern tobacco companies have for Oregon’s kids, is that enough of them become smokers.

Posted on August 22, 2007 | Return to the NEWS Archive