Highlights from the National Conference on Tobacco or Health (Nov 10-12)

[Anna White]

Dear Friends,

Last week, over 3,000 tobacco control advocates gathered in Boston, MA
for the National Conference on Tobacco or Health.  It was a pleasure to
meet and dialogue with many of the U.S. advocates involved with GPTC at
various conference sessions, lunch chats, and ancillary meetings.  Thank
you for all the ideas and feedback you shared -- we will be
incorporating them into our activities and action campaigns in the New
Year!

One of the highlights of this year's conference was the creativity,
energy, and enthusiasm that the youth brought to it.  Please find below
an account, written by Vicki Hebert (a high school student involved with
Dover Youth to Youth, NH) of youth-led activities at the conference. It
is followed by some photos of Licensed to Kill executives encouraging
conference attendees to change their non-profitable public health ways
and adopt a "We're Rich, You're Dead =99" attitude...

****************************************
          Youth Activism at the
National Conference on Tobacco or Health
  December 10 =96 12, 2003 * Boston, MA
           by Vicki Hebert, NH
****************************************

One of the most passionate and active groups of people at the National
Conference was the youth. Of the over 3,000 participants less than 100
were youth. While many participants knew very well about the dangers to
tobacco use and the Big Tobacco's manipulation, they were still amazed
by the power and energy of a few youth. The youth reemphasized the
messages and facts that everyone knew in a exciting and creative way.

Many conference participants, when asked to highlight some of the events
of the conference, would not talk about a wonderful workshop they
attended, but would talk about the activities that the youth were
involved in. Throughout the conference youth participants worked
together through the night on a wide range of projects. Some of the
highlights were:

MIDNIGHT FLYER: The first night of the conference youth gathered and
midnight. They had 2,000 flyers and developed a plan. Splitting into
groups they raided the hotels, putting a flyer under every door. The
next morning, conference participants woke to find the flyer. Then a
buzz began. Everyone wondered what the youth would do this year!

View the hard-hitting flyer featuring a 9/11/01 quote by Bush: "We will
make no distinction between [the terrorists] and those who harbor them."
The flyer includes a graph depicting annual tobacco-related deaths in
the U.S. and the conclusion "Our public officials are harboring an
industry that causes one September 11th every three days."
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/photos/nctoh2003/harborterrorists.jp=
g

FLASHMOB: Another highlight of the youth action was a very short
activity that we did on a skywalk that connected hotels. After a
workshop session, 28 youth ran to the skywalk where they laid on the
floor covered in a white sheet. While 28 youth were covered in sheets
others handed out palm cards. The card simply said 28 on the front and
on the back it read =935 Major U.S. corporations sell a product that kills
28 people per day in Massachusetts. PISSED OFF? JOIN THE CLUB. SUPPORT
CREATIVE YOUTH ACTION AGAINST TOBACCO. Brought to you by your local
activist.=94 This was very shocking to many people, while successfully
getting our message across.

STALL TALK: Teens placed small signs that read "Big Tobacco Pisses Away
$1 Million An Hour Addicting Teens to their Deadly Product. Support
Creative Teen Activism." in all the urinals.
View short video clip:
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/photos/nctoh2003/Boston013.MOV

Overall the youth had a huge impact. At the closing plenary youth
developed the message =93AWAKE. ALIVE. AWAITING.=94 There was a short
presentation by youth followed by an video recapping the events of the
week. The video was followed by a presentation by Ignite. Ignite is the
first entirely youth run group that works on tobacco control at the
national level. (For more information about Ignite go to
http://www.ignitegeneration.org) The youth received a standing ovation
for their outstanding efforts and successes.
View short video of youth performance at the closing plenary:
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco/photos/nctoh2003/Boston002.MOV

####

LICENSED TO KILL HITS BOSTON
Hotel Security Attempts to Deny Corporate Free Speech

The tobacco industry sends representatives to all tobacco control
conferences.  After all, they've got to monitor the opposition! They
often go undercover or hire consulting firms to do their dirty work.  At
the World Conference in Helsinki this past August, British American
Tobacco didn't bother to hide the identity of several of its employees,
who were spotted checking out GPTC's networking space and attending a
session we organized to examine some of the world's best practices in
tobacco control.

Well, one tobacco company was also out in the open in Boston: Licensed
to Kill, Inc, the Virginia-based company that has no qualms stating what
its business is really about, i.e. manufacturing and marketing tobacco
in a way that kills 5 million people annually. The company took the
opportunity to introduce conference attendees to the global tobacco
industry's newest addition:

CEO Rich Fromdeth greets conference attendees
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/nctoh2003/richfromdeth2.jpg

Licensed to Kill's pack of cigarettes works the audience
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/nctoh2003/l2kpack4.jpg

Licensed to Kill execs enjoying a "We're Rich, You're Dead =99" moment
together
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/nctoh2003/richdead2.jpg

CEO Rich Fromdeth poses with the Licensed to Kill pack
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/nctoh2003/richnpack2.jpg

Marriott's hotel security move in and threaten to take action against
the corporate troublemakers...
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/nctoh2003/security.jpg

... but Licensed to Kill was able to effectively persuade the security
guards to acknowledge the company's right to free speech!

Short video of the Licensed to Kill pack
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/nctoh2003/Boston026.MOV

More photos up at:
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/nctoh2003/

---------------------------------------
Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control
Essential Action
P.O. Box 19405
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: +1 202-387-8030
Fax: +1 202-234-5176
Email: tobacco@essential.org
http://www.essentialaction.org/tobacco