Sponsorship by Tobacco Companies
Corporate sponsorship refers to the donation of money, services or in-kind support in exchange for recognition of the donation. Tobacco companies, in trying to present themselves as good corporate citizens, give money to arts organizations, dance troupes, theatres and educational institutions. In addition they frequently fund organizations that represent or are targeted to minorities, women and youth.

Commercial sponsorship is utilized to promote the tobacco companies’ brand names. Examples are NASCAR Winston Cup or the Marlboro Team Penske. The goal of this type of sponsorship is to advertise the brand name, associate it with an event or a lifestyle, normalize tobacco use and promote the tobacco company as a supporting member of the community.

Why Should Companies and Organizations Kick the Habit?
Both commercial and corporate giving sponsorship sustain the image of tobacco use as socially acceptable and of tobacco companies as legitimate members of the community.
Commercial sponsorship has the same effect as other forms of tobacco advertising; it directly promotes a product that addicts and kills its user.
Tobacco company sponsorship has the same effects on children as traditional tobacco product advertisement and promotion.
Teenagers who can readily name a cigarette brand and who own a tobacco-company promotional item are more than twice as likely to become established smokers than other adolescents.
Approximately one-third of adolescent experimentation with smoking results directly from tobacco advertising and promotion.
Tobacco sports sponsorship, in particular, influences youth attitudes and behaviors related to smoking, increases brand awareness, links brands and sports, and associates cigarette brands with the excitement of the sporting event, evoking positive attitudes about smoking and smoking behavior.

What Can You Do?
Tell us if you have seen any tobacco company sponsorship in your community.
Sign a pledge to NOT accept tobacco company sponsorship for your organization or company.

Learn more by clicking on PDF documents or links below.

Overview ........ Fact Sheet

Tobacco Industry Sponsorship: What are the values?
http://www.tompkins-co.org/wellness/tobaccofree/asp/index.htm

Tobacco Free Non-profit Funding Campaign
http://www.co.tompkins.ny.us/wellness/tobaccofree/asp/ntc.htm

The Impact of Tobacco Industry Sponsorship
http://notobaccoads.org/asp_sponsorship.asp

------------------------------------------------------------