Abstract submitted by Patrick Reynolds
accepted as a panel discussion at the 2002 National Conference on Tobacco or Health

This panel was accepted by the conference organizers in May, 2002.
The conference will take place November 19-2, 2002, at the San Francisco Hilton.

FINDING OUR VOICES

The pressing need for the health community to become more outspoken What’s possible, what’s not

Panelists

Patrick Reynolds, President, Tobaccofree Earth
William Godshall, Executive Director, Smokefree Pennsylvania
Kevin Kroner, Exec. Director, Tobacco Control Resource Center
Vincent DeMarco, Exec. Dir, Maryland Childrens’ Health Initiative
Frederic Grannis, City of Hope National Medical Center
John O’Hara, BS, MS, PhD, President and founder, Maryland GASP
Jeremy Hanson, Advocacy Dir, Minnesota Smokefree Coalition
Bob Doyle, Director of Tobacco Control Programs, ALA of Colorado

As new State budget crises loom across the US, brought on by the threat of recession, many State legislatures have cut, or are contemplating cutting, funding for tobacco prevention and control programs.

In Florida, after the Tobacco Pilot program had achieved a 19% reduction in middle school smoking, the legislature slashed this highly successful program.

Stan Glantz rightly urged the Florida health community to object more loudly and more publicly. But people were reserved to speak out; perhaps they feared losing their jobs, or endangering their organizations’ tax-free status.

And, by 2001, despite a 50% reduction in middle school smoking, funding to Florida’s Pilot Program was never fully restored. Worse, only a very small handful of States have used a portion of their settlement money to fund tobacco prevention programs meeting the minimum levels recommended by the CDC.

It’s clear that there is a strong need to encourage, educate and empower those working within the health community to become more outspoken.

This panel will let attendees know what is possible on the job and off, and offer them strategies which will enable their voices to be heard, loudly and clearly, without risking their jobs, or the tax status of the groups they work for.

Attend this session for an educational and informative discussion on how those in the health community can make a real difference.

Learn from our distinguished panel what strategies can — and can’t — be used to fight back against Big Tobacco’s power and influence. It’s time to join hands, and work together for a tobaccofree society.

Abstract ID#: 5159
Program Area: Media and Communications

Strategies Preferred Presentation Format: 90-minute panel presentation

Learner Outcomes:

Be empowered to become more outspoken in their States and communities

Become informed as to effective methods of fighting the tobacco industry’s political influence

Learn the limits of what may (or may not) be done at work, and what may be done while off duty

Know the strict limits on using their organization’s name while volunteering personal time for lobbying elected officials

Become empowered to make more of a difference politically

Educational Methodology: Discussion

Type of Information: “How-to” information based on experience and the literature (e.g., how to organize a coalition)

Population Group Addressed: Professionals or volunteers

Presenter: Patrick Reynolds

President and Founder
Tobaccofree Earth and
Tobaccofree.Org
PO Box 492028
Los Angeles, CA 90049 USA
Phone Number: 310-577-9828
E-mail: mail@anti-smoking.org School: UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC

Professional Experience:
Patrick Reynolds, a grandson of RJ Reynolds, was the first tobacco industry figure to turn his back on the cigarette companies. Since first speaking out publicly in 1986, his advocacy, motivational talks and media appearances have made him a nationally known champion of a smokefree society. Patrick, who organized this panel, has had the courage to be politically outspoken in press interviews, and he will share techniques he has learned for media debates. An educational video of his live talk for 7th – 12th grades, The Truth about Tobacco, has been purchased by 3,000 schools and health departments.

Financial Support Disclosure:
You are not receiving financial or commercial support from an organization or agency for presenting the abstract.
You have not received financial or commercial support for the program or activities that are the subject of the abstract you are submitting.
YES, I am willing to chair or moderate the session I am assigned.

Presenter: William T. Godshall, MPH

Executive Director
Smokefree Pennsylvania
P.O. Box 81570
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Phone Number: (412)421-0500
Fax Number: (412)351-5881
E-mail: bill@smokescreen.org
Last Degree Received: MPH
School: Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh

Professional Experience:
Bill Godshall founded SmokeFree Pennsylvania in 1990, and has been its executive director since. SmokeFree Pennsylvania has successfully advocated policies for smokefree air, reducing tobacco marketing to youth, increasing tobacco taxes, and expanding nicotine addiction treatment services. SmokeFree Pennsylvania has exposed and opposed numerous tobacco industry protection policies, programs, front groups, coalitions, lobbyists and politicians. Originally a statewide grass roots organization, SmokeFree Pennsylvania has also been involved in numerous national level activities. Bill Godshall maintains an e-mail list (via Smokescreen.org) with 8,000 health advocates, as well as an interactive listserve that includes more than 100 of the nation’s leading activists.

Financial Support Disclosure: You are not receiving financial or commercial support from an organization or agency for presenting the abstract.
You have not received financial or commercial support for the program or activities that are the subject of the abstract you are submitting.
Support: Self financed YES, I am willing to chair or moderate the session I am assigned.

Presenter: Kevin Kroner, JD Executive Director Northeastern University School of Law Tobacco Control Resource Center 102 the Fenway 117 Cushing Hall Boston, MA 02115 USA

Phone Number: 617-373-2026
Fax Number: 617-373-3672
E-mail: ktkroner@tplp.org
Last Degree Received: Juris Doctor
School: College of William & Mary
Professional Experience: Mr. Kroner has worked in tobacco control for the past 7 years, including 5 years as director of the Boston Tobacco Control Program of the Boston Public Health Commission. He authored the 1998 Boston health regulation which restricted smoking in Boston restaurants. He designed and implemented an enforcement scheme for Boston’s 1200 tobacco retailers. Mr. Kroner is now the Executive Director of the Tobacco Control Resource Center, the leading center for legal and policy related tobacco research and technical assistance.

Financial Support Disclosure: You are receiving financial or commercial support from an organization or agency for presenting the abstract.
You have not received financial or commercial support for the program or activities that are the subject of the abstract you are submitting.
YES, I am willing to chair or moderate the session I am assigned.

Presenter: Mr. Vincent DeMarco, JD, MA

Executive Director, Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative
2600 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
USA
Phone Number: 410-235-9000
Fax Number: 410-235-8963
E-mail: demarco@mdinitiative.org
Last Degree Received: JD School: Catholic University

Professional Experience: Vincent “Vinny” DeMarco is Executive Director of the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative, a coalition of organizations that seeks to ensure better health care for Marylanders by promoting universal and accessible health insurance. In 1999, he built a coalition of faith leaders in the state of Maryland that resulted in the successful passage of a 30 cent tobacco excise tax increase. He is currently helping state tobacco control coalitions build similar efforts in a number of states including Vermont, Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Minnesota. He is a former Community Outreach Director for Handgun Control and is currently a consultant for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Financial Support Disclosure: You are not receiving financial or commercial support from an organization or agency for presenting the abstract.
You have not received financial or commercial support for the program or activities that are the subject of the abstract you are submitting.
YES, I am willing to chair or moderate the session I am assigned.

Presenter: Dr. Frederic W. Grannis, MD

Head, Thoracic Surgery Section
City of Hope National Medical Center
15 E. Duarte Road
Duarte, CA 91010
USA
Phone Number: 626-359-8111
Fax Number: 626-301-8865
E-mail: grannis@coh.org
Last Degree Received: MD
School: New York Medical College

Frederic W. Grannis Jr. MD is a thoracic surgeon who has spent most of his adult life treating lung cancer and other diseases caused by tobacco products. He believes that a reduction in lung cancer mortality will require combined efforts between physicians and tobacco control experts. He has created web pages designed to inform the public about tobacco caused diseases, including The Lung Cancer and Cigarette Smoking Web Page (www.smokinglungs.com), Young People’s Cyber-Library (www.smokinglungs.com/cyberlib.htm) and Cyber-Gallery: Images of Disease Caused by Tobacco (www.smokinglungs.com/frontpage2.htm). Dr. Grannis participates in web-based tobacco control coalition activities, such as TP-Talk and Save Live Not Tobacco.

Financial Support Disclosure: You are not receiving financial or commercial support from an organization or agency for presenting the abstract.
You have not received financial or commercial support for the program or activities that are the subject of the abstract you are submitting.

Presenter: Dr. John O’Hara, BS, MS, PhD

President and founder, Maryland GASP
PO Box 863
Bowie, MD 20718
USA
Phone Number: 301-262-3434
Fax Number: 302-262-3434
E-mail: mdgasp@aol.com
Last Degree Received: PhD
School: Catholic University, Washington DC

Professional Experience: Although trained as an Engineer and Physicist, Dr. John O’Hara has been a leader in tobacco control for over 27 years. In 1975 he formed Maryland GASP, with the goal of getting laws passed to control smoking in public places. He has served as President of MDGASP since its founding, and provided leadership in organizing demonstrations, lobbying officials and providing expert testimony on behalf of legislation for clean indoor air, increasing tobacco taxes, and limiting youth access. O’Hara has debated the tobacco industry in the media, and before legislative bodies at the local, state and national level on dozens of occasions.

Financial Support Disclosure: You are not receiving financial or commercial support from an organization or agency for presenting the abstract.
You have not received financial or commercial support for the program or activities that are the subject of the abstract you are submitting

Presenter: Jeremy Hanson, BS

Advocacy Director
Minnesota Smokefree Coalition
303 1619 Dayton Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55104
USA
Phone Number: 651-999-5281
Fax Number: 651-641-1601
E-mail: jjhanson@smokefreecoalition.org
Last Degree Received: Bachelor of Arts
School: Macalester College

Professional Experience: Jeremy Hanson is the Advocacy Director for the Minnesota Smoke-Free Coalition, a statewide advocacy organization, where he directs state and local-level legislative and public policy efforts. Mr. Hanson has worked directly with smoke-free ordinance campaigns and coordinates efforts to engage grassroots political advocacy on tobacco issues. Mr. Hanson also coordinates state-level public policy efforts in the Minnesota Legislature. Prior to joining the Minnesota Smoke-Free Coalition, Mr. Hanson coordinated public policy efforts at the Minnesota AIDS Project and Gay & Lesbian Action Council and has a broad 10-year history with various civil and human rights political causes.

Financial Support Disclosure: You are not receiving financial or commercial support from an organization or agency for presenting the abstract.

You have not received financial or commercial support for the program or activities that are the subject of the abstract you are submitting.

Bob Doyle, BS

Director of Tobacco Control Programs
American Lung Association of Colorado
Phone: 303-388-4327
Fax: 303-377-1102
bdoyle@alacolo.org
www.alacolo.org
Last degree received: BS
School: Indiana University

Professional Experience: Bob Doyle has worked in tobacco control for nearly ten years with an emphasis on media advocacy and policy work. He has organized efforts to counter tobacco industry policy activity at the local, state and national level. He has experience accomplishing policy efforts by understanding/utilizing the limitations of various organizations within a coalition. He helped to spearhead the effort to have the 2000 Democratic Convention Host Committee sign a policy against accepting tobacco money. Currently, Bob Doyle is the Director of Tobacco Control with the American Lung Association.