NEWS RELEASE
April 21, 1999

Haveman Unveils New Anti-Smoking Billboards

Michigan Department of Community Health Director, James K. Haveman, Jr., today unveiled a new anti-smoking billboard campaign. As part of the tobacco settlement, tobacco companies must stop using billboards to advertise tobacco products and make those billboards available, free of charge, to the Department of Community Health for anti-smoking advertising. The Department will take ownership of approximately 200 billboards throughout the state and use them to advertise tobacco prevention messages to children.

"The tobacco settlement made it clear that tobacco companies can no longer market to children," said Haveman. "By eliminating pro-tobacco advertising and replacing it with these strong anti-tobacco ads we hope to make a positive impact on our children."

The billboards, located in the Detroit area, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, Kalamazoo, Bay City, Saginaw, Muskegon and Traverse City, have a value of approximately $250,000 a month.

The campaign includes five different billboards that are aimed at children nine to 14 years old and were tested in focus groups in both Grand Rapids and Detroit.

"For too many years, tobacco companies have tried to glamorize smoking, making it much more appealing to kids," said Haveman. "Having tested these ads with young people, we are optimistic that they will encourage them to think twice before smoking."

The ads, with the tag line "Smoking Stinks," that will run through the end of the year are:

An ash tray in the form of lips, filled with cigarette butts. Headline: "Kissing A Smoker Is Like Licking An Ash Tray."

Takeoff on the popularity of the caterpillar in the movie "A Bug's Life," shows a caterpillar throwing cigarettes away. Headline: "Smoking Bugs Me."

Illustration shows piles of CDs. Headline: "Music Or Mucus - A Year of Cigarettes = 72 CDs. That's A Lot Of $$$ To Cough Up."

Shows a young boy trying to be cool, wearing sunglasses and holding a cigarette. Headline: "Your Little Brother Thinks Everything You Do Is Cool."

Illustration has two frames - one of a glamorous young woman with a cigarette in her mouth with headline "How You See You." Other frame is a witchy old woman with a cigarette in her mouth with headline "How He Sees You."

The ads were produced by Brogan & Partners Communications of Detroit.