The "We Card" program: tobacco industry "youth smoking prevention" as industry self-preservation

Am J Public Health. 2010 Jul;100(7):1188-201. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.169573. Epub 2010 May 13.

Abstract

The "We Card" program is the most ubiquitous tobacco industry "youth smoking prevention" program in the United States, and its retailer materials have been copied in other countries. The program's effectiveness has been questioned, but no previous studies have examined its development, goals, and uses from the tobacco industry's perspective. On the basis of our analysis of tobacco industry documents released under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, we concluded that the We Card program was undertaken for 2 primary purposes: to improve the tobacco industry's image and to reduce regulation and the enforcement of existing laws. Policymakers should be cautious about accepting industry self-regulation at face value, both because it redounds to the industry's benefit and because it is ineffective.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior
  • Child
  • History, 20th Century
  • History, 21st Century
  • Humans
  • Lobbying*
  • Organizational Policy*
  • Smoking / history
  • Smoking Cessation / economics
  • Smoking Cessation / history*
  • Smoking Cessation / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Smoking Prevention
  • Tobacco Industry / economics
  • Tobacco Industry / history*
  • Tobacco Industry / legislation & jurisprudence
  • United States