It keeps your smile bright and attractive. Tobacco, on the other hand, eventually kills one third of its customers. Toothpaste is something we want our children to use. Thanks to the tobacco industry's unhealthy political influence, tobacco manufacturers are exempt from consumer protection rules that govern nearly every other food or drug on the market today. One back-room deal, made in the U.S. Congress more than 30 years ago, bought the tobacco industry its loophole.
Most people do.
That's why the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health unanimously passed the Truth in Tobacco Advertising in Pierce County resolution. The measure bans tobacco ads within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds and school bus stops. The public response has been overwhelmingly positive. We solicited feedback in two public hearings and via our Web site and monitored letters to the editor in local papers. Unfortunately, some in the media remain miles apart from public sentiment when it comes to restricting tobacco advertising.