TOBACCOFREE EARTH

The US has made major progress against tobacco, but other nations are still burdened with high rates of tobacco use. While fully continuing our fight at home to combat vaping and other issues, the Foundation felt it was important to extend the Foundation's work internationally.

Our goals include expanding our outreach on the Internet. Because of our tremendous outreach around the globe, in 2019 the group elected to change its name from the Foundation for a Smokefree America to Tobaccofree Earth. We continue our programs to locate and educate key government officials in nations with the highest rates of smoking and vaping. We inform them about six government policies that have successfully reduced smoking in every nation which has implemented at least three of them. These include ad campaigns in the media, higher tobacco taxes, workplace smoking bans, raising the purchase age to 21, and stronger regulations tobacco advertising, or banning it altogether, when constitutionally permissible.

For a more detailed plan, see below for our strategies to realize these goals.

Mr. Reynolds wishes to plan and attend a series of meetings with Ministers of Health and world leaders to inform them about the six government policies which have successfully reduced smoking rates in nations that have implemented three or more of them. The six policies are: education programs in schools, TV and radio ad campaigns, workplace smoking bans, strengthened regulations on the advertising of vape and tobacco products, higher e-cigarette and tobacco taxes, and raising the purchase age to 21. Our strategy is to fully inform leaders at the highest levels about these policies, to encourage them to implement them.

We have successfully done this previously. When the Greek Minister of Health Avramopoulos invited Mr. Reynolds to speak in Athens, he met with him and his team to advocate the policies outlined above. This resulted in the Greek government running a major TV ad campaign following his visit, and Greece also proceeded with a plan to ban smoking in most public places. For a letter documenting this from the Greek Ministry of Health, see https://www.tobaccofree.org/support/.

There was also strong coverage by the Greek newsmedia of Mr. Reynolds' visit. His background as a grandson of a tobacco company founder against tobacco use captivated the Greek public. For evidence of this, please see https://tobaccofree.org/intl.pdf

Because of Mr. Reynolds' success in his meeting with the Greece's Minister of Health and the attending national media coverage, the Tobaccofree Earth is seeking funding to send him on additional international speaking tours of countries with high rates of smoking. Proposed nations include Japan, the Middle East, Russia, India and China; these will be approached first. Tobaccofree Earth will enlist the support of the World Health Organization in Geneva to help coordinate his visit in each nation. An international public relations firm may be hired to publicize his tours, or we may rely on the communications executive within the Ministry of Health. See below for a detailed plan.

It is anticipated that Mr. Reynolds' tours of these nations will result in over one billion people getting a powerful reminder about tobacco use and vaping. This will be attained through news coverage of Patrick Reynolds' visit to these nations, and his meetings with their leaders, whether in public or in private, will help speed the implementation of new government policies which have been proven effective at reducing smoking rates in nations which have passed laws implementing them.

As the grandson of RJ Reynolds against tobacco and vaping, Mr. Reynolds has unique access to officials at the highest levels of government. He has an extensive history of speaking internationally and will enlist the support of the World Health Organization's Tobacco Control unit to plan and promote his international tours. His letters of support are posted at https://tobaccofree.org/support/ and these will further help open doors.

The Foundation will also contact the Directors of Health Promotion within Ministries of Health in each target nation, and request a public meeting with the Minister of Health or other official. Private meetings are also an option. Health Promotion units will also be helpful in booking his speaking dates and venues, and inviting the press in every city.

The Foundation will also seek a partnership with the US State Department as a partial funder, sponsor and organizer of his tours.

At this time, the Foundation is seeking corporate, private and government sponsors for international speaking tours. In China and India alone, it is anticipated that one billion people would get a powerful reminder about tobacco use from news coverage of Mr. Reynolds' visits to those nations.

Patrick Reynolds' meetings with the Minister of Health of Greece resulted in a national TV ad campaign against tobacco use. Strong national news coverage of Mr. Reynolds' visit helped increase public awareness about smoking and second hand smoke, and supported a national workplace smoking ban implemented in Greece following his visit.

Our video The Truth About Tobacco has been purchased by over 11,000 schools and health departments, and has now been seen by over 1 million youth aged 11 - 18.

Our websites continue to reach thousands of people every week, and our $10,000 per month grant from Google for free advertising on Google continues to maintain and expand our outreach around the globe.