Tobacco.org

ClearWay Minnesota(SM) Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary of Settlement 

Tomorrow marks the 10-year anniversary of Minnesota's historic settlement with the tobacco industry. The settlement and the trial leading up to it made national headlines for exposing millions of tobacco industry documents and for creating ClearWay Minnesota, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to eliminating the harm tobacco causes Minnesotans.

Funded with 3 percent of the settlement, ClearWay Minnesota has achieved significant milestones during the past decade, including comprehensive cessation services for all Minnesotans, a strong statewide smoke-free law and a nationally respected research program. ClearWay Minnesota remains the only organization of its kind in the country.

Jump to full article »

Florida spending money to fight smoking 

Florida's revamped anti-smoking campaign is starting to move into high-gear. Lawmakers had gutted the program's budget in recent years, but in 2006 voters forced the program back into relevancy. They approved a constitutional amendment to require the Legislature to put 15 percent of the state's tobacco settlement dollars into the program each year. Now the state anti-smoking campaign will start airing student-produced commercials and begin offering free nicotine patches

Jump to full article »

Agency Wounded in Battle Over Anti-Tobacco Funds  

Ohio has dismantled a foundation that paid for a statewide anti-smoking campaign, prompting the advertising agency that handled the account to lay off 27 employees May 5.

Northlich, Cincinnati, has handled the creative and media efforts for the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation since 2002, winning a review against other shops in late 2007.

"It's a tragedy that such a successful program may not continue," Northlich CEO Kathy Selker said in a statement. "I can't begin to express the depth of the personal and professional commitments our people made. ... When you know that 40% fewer teens smoke today than when we began this program, you know we've made a true difference." . . .

In what The Columbus Dispatch called a "huge miscalculation," the foundation even tried to keep lawmakers' hands off the money by transferring the cash to the coffers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a nonprofit based in Washington.

Jump to full article »

• State can't use tobacco money yet, judge says 

Ohio's anti-tobacco foundation went away this week, but the struggle over its money did not end with a court hearing yesterday.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David W. Fais kept alive a lawsuit by the American Legacy Foundation, an anti-smoking group based in Washington, that claims $190 million of the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation's $270 million endowment. . . .

leaders of the Ohio foundation attempted to move the money to the American Legacy Foundation.

Lawyers for the national foundation persuaded Fais yesterday not to dismiss their case. The matter is scheduled to return to his court June 2-3.

Jump to full article »

• Jill Burcum: Breathe deeply and ponder this anniversary 

It had all the elements of a John Grisham novel: a crack legal team filing a long-shot lawsuit, a behemoth defendant peddling cancer-causing products, secret stashes of incriminating documents, and a mind-boggling, multibillion-dollar settlement. Yet Minnesota's landmark tobacco case was a real-life legal thriller. Ten years ago today, after a dramatic trial in St. Paul, the state settled with the nation's tobacco companies for more than $6 billion.

As Minnesota's sesquicentennial approaches, we're marking 150 years of statehood with wagon trains and faded photos of early settlers. But the 10-year milestone of the tobacco settlement reminds us that the state's more-recent history also offers much to celebrate, including the risk-taking legal pioneers who beat Big Tobacco. The Minnesota case not only paved the way for other states to settle, but blew once and for all the industry's smokescreen on how much it knew about the dangers of its own products.

Jump to full article »

• 10 years ago today: Landmark tobacco trial ends with a settlement 

Ten years ago today, the state of Minnesota and Blue Cross Blue Shield reached a landmark settlement with the major tobacco companies. That settlement included $6.1 million to the state of Minnesota and $469 million to Blue Cross Blue Shield.

St. Paul, Minn. -- In addition to dollars, the tobacco companies had to end cigarette billboard advertising, stop commenting about the health effects of smoking, and set up a depository for tobacco documents.

The state and Blue Cross had argued the tobacco companies defrauded the public about the true health effects of smoking, and sued to recoup smoking-related health care costs.

It was a momentous case because it unearthed years of internal company documents that showed the companies knew smoking was hazardous and addictive, while publicly, they said the opposite.

The major tobacco companies said they settled because they couldn't get a fair trial in Minnesota. The state's consumer protection laws were tougher than in many other states, and the companies also said the judge was biased against them.

Ramsey County Judge Kenneth Fitzpatrick denied the companies' request to make the "death credit argument," that smokers cost the state less because they tended to die sooner.

Jump to full article »

Blue Cross marks 10 years since tobacco settlement 

Ten years ago this week, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota became the first private insurance company to score a legal victory against the tobacco industry.

Blue Cross will mark that anniversary by hosting a daylong Prevention Minnesota conference Thursday at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest in Minnetonka.

Jump to full article »

• Blue Cross Marks 10-Year Anniversary of Victory Over Tobacco Industry 

Ten years ago this week, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) became the first private insurance company to score a legal victory against the tobacco industry. On May 8, 1998, Blue Cross and the State of Minnesota agreed to settlement terms with the tobacco industry, ending a four-month trial that had national and even international implications. The benefits of this settlement are clear today, as Minnesota enjoys a lower smoking rate than the national average.

The historic lawsuit and trial received worldwide attention for exposing the tobacco industry's long history of deceptive marketing, advertising and research, ultimately forcing the industry to change its business practices. In addition to Blue Cross' monetary award of $469 million and the State's award of $6.1 billion, the settlement required tobacco companies to stop a number of practices in Minnesota. The restrictions, which were quickly adopted by 46 other states . . . Others have said our decision to sue the industry was the greatest act of corporate courage they had ever seen. Courageous or not, it was the right thing to do," said Dr. Mark Banks, CEO, Blue Cross. "The lawsuit paved the way for significant public health achievements and will continue to have a profound impact on the health of our members and all Minnesotans for years to come."

Ten years later, the victory over the tobacco industry is still giving back to Minnesotans. Blue Cross continues to commit its settlement money to create lasting change that improves health for all Minnesotans. In 2006, Blue Cross launched Prevention Minnesota, a long-term initiative to reduce heart disease and cancers by tackling their root causes -- tobacco use, secondhand smoke, physical inactivity and unhealthy eating. . . .

Blue Cross will mark the tobacco settlement anniversary by hosting a day-long Prevention Minnesota conference at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest in Minnetonka on May 8. For more information on Blue Cross' Prevention Minnesota initiative, visit http://www.bluecrossmn.com/preventionminnesota.

Jump to full article »

Governor OKs tobacco fund liquidation; state moves to dismiss suit  

The Ohio legislature is hoping a second time's the charm with an effort to secure more than $200 million from the state Tobacco Prevention Foundation for a jobs initiative.

Gov. Ted Strickland on Tuesday signed House Bill 544, introduced a week ago by Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark. The bill liquidates all $270 million of the foundation's funding and dissolves its board, allocating $230 million for a $1.57 billion state economic stimulus plan.

The remaining $40 million will be directed to the Ohio Department of Health to pay off the foundation's outstanding obligations and fund tobacco-cessation initiatives with what's left over.

Jump to full article »

• Northlich to lay off 27 

Northlich, the downtown Cincinnati-based public relations, media and branding agency, said Monday it will lay off 27 people after it lost a key account, the state's Stand youth anti- tobacco campaign and OhioQuits cessation campaigns.

Ohio legislators last week moved to abolish the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation, which funded the campaign.

The layoffs are split between Northlich's Columbus and Cincinnati offices. Northlich will employ 120, or 18.3 percent fewer people after the reconfiguration. . . . "It's a tragedy that such a successful program may not continue," Northlich CEO Kathy Selker said. The agency had a $13 million contract for this year for the campaign, which included billboards, television and Web advertising, public relations and grass-roots organizing.

The Stand strategy was to debunk myths among teens that "everyone" smokes

Jump to full article »

• Gov. signs bill snuffing anti-smoking foundation 

The foundation that operated Ohio's anti-smoking programs is gone.

Gov. Ted Strickland on Tuesday, May 6, signed legislation, effective immediately, abolishing the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation and authorizing state Treasurer Richard Cordray to liquidate its $270 million in remaining funds -- with $230 million going to a new state jobs fund.

The remaining $40 million goes for the foundation's obligations, which will be taken over by the state Health Department. The foundation was created with money from Ohio's share of the national tobacco settlement.

Jump to full article »

• Governor signs bill to get rid of tobacco foundation 

Gov. Ted Strickland has signed a bill to strip the state's tobacco prevention foundation of its funds.

The bill was a response to a lawsuit by the foundation to stop the state from using the majority of its funds as part of an economic package to create jobs. It was passed Tuesday by the Senate before receiving the governor's signature.

The bill enables the state to transfer $40 million from the foundation to the Ohio Department of Health, which will take over the foundation's anti-tobacco efforts.

Jump to full article »

Northlich plans layoffs 

Northlich acknowledged this morning that the downtown Cincinnati-based public relations, media and branding agency will lay off 27 people due to recent legislation that abolished the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation.

All of the people who are losing jobs worked on Northlich's stand youth anti-tobacco campaign and OhioQuits cessation campaigns.

"It's a tragedy that such a successful program may not continue,"

Jump to full article »

Ohio tobacco foundation demise means layoffs at Northlich 

Northlich said it has laid off 27 employees after the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation, a major client, was abolished by state legislators.

The laid-off employees account for more than one-sixth of the Cincinnati branding firm's work force. Northlich had 155 employees as of February, according to Courier research.

The General Assembly in late April passed a bill requiring Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray to liquidate the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation Endowment Fund, leaving $40 million for the foundation to pay off contractual obligations.

Jump to full article »

AMERICAN LEGACY FOUNDATION STEPS FORWARD TO FIGHT FOR, SAFEGUARD OHIO’S TOBACCO SETTLEMENT DOLLARS  

In a concerted effort to preserve Ohio's tobacco settlement dollars for their originally intended use, the American Legacy Foundation has asked the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas for permission to intervene in the ongoing litigation regarding whether these state funds, wisely dedicated by the State to tobacco prevention and control, can now be diverted for other purposes. The Foundation - the nation's public health foundation devoted solely to tobacco control and prevention - has also asked the court to declare that the contract it signed with the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation (OTPF) is valid.

Jump to full article »