Patrick Reynolds, grandson of tobacco company magnet RJ Reynolds and one of the most influential advocates of a Tobaccofree Earth, is coming to Cleveland.
Reynolds will present “Tobacco Wars!” or “The Truth About Tobacco” during an afternoon reception on Tuesday, Nov. 22, beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the Professional Development Center on the corporate campus of Life Care Centers of America, located at 3750 Keith Street. The event is open to the public.
Reynolds’ appearance is sponsored by the Bradley County Health Council and is sponsored by Cleveland Community Hospital/Bradley Memorial Hospital, Life Care Centers of America and the American Cancer Society.
“We are thrilled to bring Patrick Reynolds to Cleveland,” said Jodi Riggins, chairman of the Bradley County Health Council. “Patrick’s insight into the tobacco world will be shocking to people who care about the health and welfare of their communities.”
Reynolds watched his father, RJ Reynolds, Jr., his oldest brother, RJ Reynolds III and other members of his family die from cigarette-induced emphysema and lung cancer. Concerned about mounting health evidence, in 1986, Reynolds made the decision to speak out against the industry his family helped build. He became the first tobacco industry figure to do so.
In 1986, Reynolds spoke out publicly at a Congressional hearing in favor of a ban on all cigarette advertising. The following year, he testified before Congress again, joining the many voices who helped bring about the present ban of smoking on all U.S. domestic flights.
In 1989, Reynolds founded the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth, a non-profit group whose mission is to motivate youth to stay tobacco free and empower smokers to quit successfully.