Citizens for Clean Air in Apartments

Tobacco Ads and the First Amendment
The right to free speech is a sacred freedom that is rightfully cherished in this country and guaranteed by our national constitution. Yet if that right is absolute, then you won't mind if I stand out in front of your house and shout obscenities. You won't mind if I put naked pictures of women or of unclothed men on posters throughout your neighborhood.

See what I mean. We expect as well as accept that there will be reasonable limitations on the first, and arguably the most important, of our constitutional principles. Otherwise, we would frequently see advertisements as the one displayed below. This is a real ad. This spot was featured in the December 1998 issue of the advertising publication Creativity (p. 11).

Hey Kids! Sell Crack

source: Creativity,December 1998, p. 11.

This ad is just one of several created by the dGWB agency. The spots offer mock job descriptions for stealing cars, robbing convenience stores as well as getting pregnant and living off welfare.

Creativitystates that the ads are meant to illustrate the need to help foster kids at risk and to get kids on track once they reach legal adulthood. The focus of the campaign is to let adults know that if they do not help employ these kids, the streets will. Orange County Works was the client for this series of community advertisements.

Due to the addictive power of the nicotine that is contained in tobacco, tobacco poses a significant threat to the health and well-being of all society. While we do not advocate for the prohibition of tobacco products, we support measures that limit the availability of tobacco products as well as those policies that reduce the incidence of smoking and tobacco product initiation among teens and kids. We need, therefore, strict regulations of the types of advertising as well as the forum and location of advertising for tobacco products.

We ask that adults and the tobacco industry make these necessary sacrifices for the welfare of our children and well as the health of the nation.

Subconscious Messaging Contained In Advertisements [here]

Billboard advertisements -- big tobacco's dinosaurs... [here]

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