School notebooks emblazoned with the Marlboro logo. Scantily clad women handing out free cigarettes in cafes. Giant billboards with pictures of the Wild West that say "Welcome to Marlboro Country" towering over a children's school. Boys playing with toy cars that have "Marlboro" written on the hood. These are all real images you'd be shocked to find in countries all over the world. And they are just some of the ways that Big Tobacco hooks kids overseas.
What can YOU do about it?
Take Action Now and send a free email to President Bush and your members of Congress urging them and the U.S. government to protect kids and send the global tobacco treaty to the Senate for ratification.
The global tobacco treaty is officially called the "Framework Convention on Tobacco Control." It is designed to battle Big Tobacco's efforts to spread death and disease worldwide. The treaty goes into effect in over 50 countries this Sunday, February 27th. But unfortunately, the U.S. will not be one of those countries.
The U.S. signed the treaty. But that's not enough. In order for the treaty to take effect here at home the United States Senate must approve, or "ratify", the treaty. Our country is standing on the sidelines while other countries take action against the leading preventable cause of death in the world. U.S. ratification of the treaty is critical to the effort to protecting public health around the world. As home to Philip Morris, the world's largest multinational tobacco company, the U.S. has a special obligation to provide global leadership in reducing the alarming rates of death and disease caused by tobacco use.
Please join me in sending a free letter to President George W. Bush and your members of Congress, urging them to stand up for the American people and send the FCTC to the Senate for ratification. Send a free message now.
The FCTC gives nations powerful new tools to protect the health of their citizens from the tobacco industry's deceptions and slick marketing. It will take less than a minute to help. And once you've sent your letter, please forward this email to your friends and family and ask them to join you in taking action, too. To learn more about this campaign and other important issues, Visit TobaccoFreeKids.org.
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