( May 2, 2007) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the successful initial roll-out in February 2007 of a campaign to reach more youth across the country, the American Legacy Foundation® will extend its successful truth® youth smoking prevention message to an additional 17 markets over the course of the second and third quarters 2007. The three year $3.6 million matching grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in January 2007 allows the foundation to increase its advertising in a total of 41 cities in 18 states, reaching a broader range of youth, including youth in surrounding smaller communities that typically have less exposure to such campaigns.

Two ads - “Body Bags” and “1200” - will run from April 9 through Sept. 14, 2007. These two ads are from original truth® campaigns that aired in the years 2000 and 2003, respectively. The two spots consistently rank among the most recognized truth® ads ever among teens. Brief descriptions of the spots follow:

1200
A group of teens march toward what is identified onscreen as “outside a major tobacco company.” Each teen wears a t-shirt with a number separated by a slash from the number 1200 (e.g. 1/1200, or 25/1200). We eventually see all 1200 numbered teens on the street in front of the building. All at once, they fall to the ground, unmoving. One teen remains standing, holding a sign that shows the fact that “Tobacco kills 1200 people a day.” After a few moments, he flips the sign over to reveal a question: “Ever think about taking a day off?” The ad is meant to bring to life vividly how 1200 people a day in the U.S. die from the toll of tobacco-related diseases.

Body Bags
A truth® - branded van and a semi pull up in front of what is identified onscreen as “outside a major tobacco company.” Teens quickly pile out of the van and begin unloading heavy body bags, then stack them on the sidewalk until there is a veritable wall covering the corner. A teen speaks into a bullhorn and asks the people working in the building if they know “how many people tobacco kills every day,” then tells them “we’re going to leave these here so you can see what 1200 people actually looks like.” He’s referring to the fact that 1200 people die every day from tobacco-related illnesses.

Reaching all youth is especially important for Legacy, given that more than 80 percent of smokers start before they turn 18 years old. In late December 2006, the University of Michigan reported in its annual health findings, Monitoring the Future, that the historic decline in daily smoking among younger U.S. teens has ended. This alarming public health news underscores the need for this increased dose of truth®.

MARKETS


Colorado
Denver
Grand Junction/ Montrose

Hawaii
Honolulu

Idaho
Boise
Idaho Falls/Pocatello
Twin Falls

Iowa
Cedar Rapids/ Waterloo/
Iowa City/ Dubuque
Davenport/ Rock
Island/ Moline (IL)
Des Moines/ Ames
Sioux City

Kansas
Topeka
Wichita/Hutchinson

Maine
Bangor
Portland/ Auburn
Presque Isle

Montana
Billings
Butte/ Bozeman
Glendive
Helena
Missoula

Nebraska
Lincoln/Hastings/
Kearney
North Platte
Sioux City

New Mexico
Albuquerque/ Santa Fe

North Dakota
Fargo/ Valley City
Minot/ Bismarck/ Dickinson

Oklahoma
Oklahoma City
Sherman/ Ada
Tulsa

Pennsylvania
Harrisburg/Lancaster/
Lebanon/York
Johnstown/ Altoona
Pittsburgh
Wilkes Barre/ Scranton

Rhode Island
Providence/ New Bedford

South Dakota
Sioux Falls

Tennessee
Knoxville

Vermont
Burlington/ Plattsburgh

Washington
Spokane
Seattle/ Tacoma
Yakima/ Pasco/ Richland/Kennewick

Wyoming
Casper/ Riverton
Cheyenne/ Scottsbluff (NE)




The American Legacy Foundation® is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the foundation develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, especially among vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco, through grants, technical assistance and training, partnerships, youth activism, and counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns.

The foundation’s programs include truth®, a national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as contributing to significant declines in youth smoking; EXSM, an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use; and a nationally-renowned program of outreach to priority populations.

The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit www.americanlegacy.org.