| Date:
Tue, Jun 12, 2001 7:30 PM
Subject: Cigarette and Smokeless Tobacco Reports June 11, 2001 Federal Trade Commission RE: Cigarette and Smokeless Tobacco Reports Dear Sir or Madam, On behalf of the American Lung Association of California, and its medical section, the California Thoracic Society, I am writing to urge you to continue the periodic publishing of the Tobacco Industry Marketing Reports. The reports issued by your Commission provide crucial information for our fight against tobacco-related death and disease. They are also a vital resource for those championing the interests of public health, as they provide reliable and accurate information about the marketing methods of the tobacco industry. This is information that it is in the public*s interest to have accessible. We have used these FTC reports to inform the California Legislature about the marketing and advertising activity of the tobacco manufacturers as it relates to tobacco control legislation. These reports provide concrete facts about the way tobacco is marketed and afford us a glimpse into the tobacco industry*s marketing strategies, which is necessary knowledge for an organization fighting to reduce tobacco usage. Furthermore, we would like to request the expansion of these reports. More detailed information such as state-by-state breakdowns of marketing expenditures and breakdowns by company or brand of marketing expenditures would be very useful. The American Lung Association of California supports the issuing of Tobacco Industry Marketing Reports, as well as expanding these reports. If you have any questions about our usage of FTC reports please feel free to contact me at (916) 442-4446 or pknepprath@alac.org. Sincerely, Paul Knepprath |