NOTE Patrick Reynolds initially founded our group as the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth in 1989, but in 2020 we changed our name to Tobaccofree Earth, as our group had become international in mission and scope.
Statements of Support
President Barack Obama
White House’s Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Patrick Reynolds
September 2015
Congratulations on receiving the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and thank you for helping to address the most pressing needs in your community and our country… Your volunteer service demonstrates the kind of commitment to your community that moves America a step closer to its great promise… Thank you for your devotion to service, and for doing all that you can to shape a better tomorrow for our great Nation.
See his original letter and the Award
Alexis Zorbas
Ministry of Health
Athens, Greece
May 12, 2009
At our conference launching the national campaign for our law prohibiting smoking in public places, Mr. Reynolds gave a well-informed, polished and persuasive speech, and assisted us in promoting the Greek State’s agenda on tobacco, through strong and very positive national media coverage of his visit. Moreover, his talk to youth at one of our local schools was a tremendous success.
Thus, I hereby would like to highly recommend Mr. Reynolds as a speaker targeting all ranges and ages of society, as well to representatives of the press, regarding the negative effects of smoking and secondhand smoke.
Mr. Reynolds has been a most valuable addition towards our public health efforts in Greece, and has made a noticeable difference to our national efforts against smoking.
See his original letter/
Dr. C. Everett Koop
US Surgeon General, 1981 – 1989
As Surgeon General, Dr. Koop issued the landmark Surgeon General’s Report on Involuntary Smoking and Secondhand Smoke. His 1986 report helped provide the scientific evidence to support and back new laws banning smoking in public places. In 1988, he also published The Surgeon General’s Report on Nicotine Addiction, a seminal report establishing new scientific evidence that nicotine was addictive.
Dr. Koop issued the following statement:
I support the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth, and the valuable and important work Patrick Reynolds is doing to further the goal of a tobaccofree society. Patrick Reynolds is one of the nation’s most influential advocates of a Tobaccofree Earth; his testimony is invaluable to our society. Since launching his campaign in 1986, he has continued to make an important contribution to the tobacco control public health effort.
Because of his past dedication and commitment, I am confident that under Mr. Reynolds’ stewardship, the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth will achieve the goals it sets out to accomplish.
There is no more worthy public health effort than the Foundation’s in seeking to prevent youth smoking, and to provide school-based programs to educate children, create a stronger network of school programs, and to help coordinate school programs with local health agencies.
The Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth and its programs are vital in the effort to create a tobacco free society.
See the original letter.
David A. Kessler, M.D.
Former Commissioner of the FDA
Present Dean of the School of Medicine,
University of California at San Francisco
Dr. Kessler was Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under both President Bush Sr. and under Clinton. During his time in office, he fought vigorously for Federal regulation of tobacco, but Congress would not pass FDA regulation of tobacco until President Obama’s first year in office, 2009. Dr. Kessler is today Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
Patrick Reynolds continues to make an important contribution in the field of tobacco prevention and control. He has spoken to hundreds of schools and community groups, and works tirelessly to promote tobacco-free causes. I believe that over the years, he has made a difference in the progress of the anti-smoking movement, and I have every reason to believe that under his leadership, the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth will achieve the goals it sets out to accomplish.
I support Tobaccofree Earth’s effort to provide school-based programs to educate children through smoking prevention activities and educational materials, create a stronger network of school programs, and coordinate with local health agencies. These programs represent important, necessary steps to creating a tobacco-free America.
See his original letter
Stephen M. Shortell, PhD, MPH
Dean of the School of Public Health
University of California at Berkeley
Dr. Shortell is a Blue Cross of California Distinguished Professor of Health Policy & Management, and Dean of the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. He has written numerous articles which have been published in top medical and scientific journals.
I am familiar with the work Patrick Reynolds has done over the years and the important contribution he has made to the movement fighting tobacco use. I admire his dedication to the tobaccofree cause and believe Mr. Reynolds has made a difference in the progress the anti-smoking movement has made in recent years.
As the Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, I strongly support the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth and the work it is doing to further the goal of a smokefree society.
Because of the leadership and commitment of Patrick Reynolds, I have every confidence that the organization has the capacity to competently fulfill the grants this worthy organization applies for.
I fully support the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth’s efforts to:
- Provide school-based programs to educate children through smoking prevention activities and educational materials.
- Create a stronger network of school programs, coordinated with local health agencies
- Enhance the Foundation websites, www.Anti-smoking.org and www.Tobaccofree.org.
- Enact peer-teaching programs to empower youth to resist peer pressure and advertising, including the building of a new awareness among youth that countertop tobacco displays are paid advertising, often next to the candy or chewing gum.
- Implement programs to encourage physicians to take a proactive role with their smoking patients, to intervene and ask them to quit.
- Establish Hollywood for Youth, a group that will raise awareness of the bad examples stars set when they smoke in films.
- Establish an anti-smoking campaign for Universities and Colleges, which will include posters, tobacco free days, and educational speakers on campus.
- Design educational materials for legislators regarding current tobacco laws and cigarette taxes in their State, vs. other States.
I also fully support the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth’s efforts to raise funds, in order to enhance and expand its tobacco control programs.
See his original letter.
Dean Ornish, M.D.
President, Preventive Medicine Research Institute
Dr. Ornish is the author of five best-selling books, including New York Times bestsellers Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease, Eat More, Weigh Less, and Love & Survival. His research and writings have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, The New England Journal of Medicine, the American Journal of Cardiology and elsewhere. Since 1980, Dr. Ornish has directed clinical research demonstrating for the first time that comprehensive lifestyle changes may begin to reverse even severe coronary heart disease, without drugs or surgery.
I admire Patrick Reynolds’ continuing dedication to the tobaccofree cause. Mr. Reynolds has made a real difference since he first spoke out publicly before Congress in 1986.
As founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute, I strongly support the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth. Patrick Reynolds continues to make an important contribution to the field of tobacco prevention and control. Over the years, his work has helped make a difference in the progress of the anti-smoking movement.
Because of his past dedication, I believe that under Mr. Reynolds’ stewardship, the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth will achieve the goals it sets out to accomplish.
I support Tobaccofree Earth’s effort to provide school-based programs to educate children through smoking prevention activities and educational materials, to create a stronger network of school programs, and to help coordinate them with local health agencies.
See his original letter
Mikelle Robinson, M.A.
Manager, Michigan Tobacco Control Program
Mr. Reynolds has worked tirelessly in the tobacco prevention field since 1986.
As Manager of the Michigan Tobacco Control Program, I strongly support the Foundation for a Tobaccofree Earth, and the important work of the Foundation to create a smoke-free society.
Mr. Reynolds has shown his commitment to tobacco control by speaking out against the marketing of death by the tobacco companies, and encouraging children to remain tobacco free.
I seriously hope you will consider his application for funding. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance in this matter.
See her original letter
Letters from political campaign managers for Ballot Measures who have worked with Patrick Reynolds:
Wendy Simpkins, American Cancer Society,
American Cancer Society, Ohio Division
Roy Mitchell, Mississippi Health Advocacy Program
Chris Quint, Director of Public Policy,Colorado Tobacco Education and Prevention Alliance
News clips of Patrick Reynolds’ press conferences
from the above political campaigns
“Patrick Reynolds’ father died from the product that made the family fortune — cigarettes. In this program, Reynolds, grandson of tobacco company founder R.J. Reynolds and an anti-smoking advocate and renowned speaker, addresses a high school audience. His dynamic presentation is enlivened by videos, posters, and overhead slides. Amusing and effective take-offs of popular cigarette ads catch the audience’s attention… This production, with its humor and varied format, is a powerful reminder of all the reasons to avoid tobacco and a useful resource for drug/ tobacco education programs in middle and high schools.”
A Safe and Drug Free Schools coordinator says:
“The Truth About Tobacco is a powerful mix of great TV spots, live talk, photos, film clips, and excellent graphics. This video was so effective, we’re buying one for every school in our district. It will be an important part of our new tobacco education campaign. It should be in every middle and high school library.”
Linda Currier, Safe and Drug Free Schools
Drug Education Coordinator
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw School District, Fort Worth, TX