Nearly 100 youth gather in Washington D.C. to protest Altria’s shareholder meeting and expose Big Tobacco’s lies and schemes to addict kids
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — On May 18, over 125 youth and advocates from 15 different states will protest tobacco giant Altria’s annual shareholders meeting. These advocates will hold a demonstration outside Altria’s Washington, D.C. office, while several youth activists have been made designees by shareholders to directly address Altria’s executives and ask questions during the virtual shareholders’ meeting.
This year marks the eighth consecutive year that Mobilize Against Tobacco Lies (MATL), a collaborative of youth programs and national partners, will gather to expose and fight back against the tobacco giant.
Altria and its Philip Morris USA subsidiary sell the number one most popular cigarette brand among kids, Marlboro, and its John Middleton subsidiary sells the second most popular brand of cigars among kids, Black & Mild. Altria has long targeted kids and other vulnerable groups with its products and also invested in Juul at the height of the youth e-cigarette epidemic. Altria claims to be “moving beyond smoking,” but the truth is that they make most of their revenue from cigarettes and fight real efforts to reduce smoking like bans on menthol cigarettes.
Despite Altria and the tobacco industry’s efforts, the United States has made great progress to reduce youth smoking. However, the latest government survey shows over 3 million U.S. middle and high school students still use tobacco products, including over 2.5 million who use e-cigarettes.
| WHAT: | Over 125 youth and other advocates will protest Altria’s shareholder meeting to expose how Altria profits off cigarettes and other tobacco products, addicts kids, and fights real efforts to reduce tobacco use. | |
| WHO: | Mobilize Against Tobacco Lies is a collaborative of tobacco control youth programs and national partners, including seven youth programs and five national partners: | |
| Reality Check of New York | Indigenous Peoples Task Force | |
| Michigan Making It Count | Corporate Accountability | |
| Texas Say What | Counter Tools | |
| New Hampshire Dover Youth to Youth | Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids | |
| Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii | Center for Black Health and Equity | |
| Wisconsin FACT | Truth Initiative | |
| Delaware Kick Butts Generation | ||
| WHEN: | Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM ET | |
| WHERE: | Altria’s Lobbyist Office 101 Constitution Ave NW, #400W, Washington, D.C. 20001 | |
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SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
