Rendez-vous 144 - November 29, 2002
This rendez-vous took place during the 2002 national tobacco control conference
in San Francisco. I want to thank the press service of the conference that made it possible.
Mike Moore is Attorney General for the state of Mississipi
Jackson, Mississipi
Thank you Mike for accepting our rendez-vous. May I ask you to introduce yourself?
Mike Moore: I have spent 25 years in the public service, 15 years as Attorney General for the state of Mississipi. I was always concerned with the problems related with alcool and illegal drugs. When I came to realize tobacco was the number one cause of death in our country I felt compelled to do something about it and I still do.
Q1. You filed the initial lawsuit against Big Tobacco in 1994. How much of your time do you still devote to tobacco control?
Mike Moore: I have visited 33 states to spread the message, talking to legislators, public officials, doctors,
Q2. The most frequent complaint is that the tobacco settlement money has been diverted to other uses than tobacco control and public health. What is your analysis?
Mike Moore: It has been very frustrating and hurtful. You fight a huge case and you think you win. The proceeds of the victory are supposed to be spent on tobacco related diseases. It's a real challenge to convince public officials to spend this money on prevention and public health. We did not sue the concrete industry, we did not sue to help pouring concrete or building roads. We believed a good portion of the settlement -at least half- would be spent on prevention. We never dreamed that some states would not spend any. Why not try to reduce the damages of tobacco when you know the cure as it has been demonstrated in every state that has established a comprehensive tobacco control program.
Q3. Can you tell us about the situation in Mississipi?
Mike Moore: In Mississipi we created an independent Foundation, the Partnership for a healthy Mississipi to receive the settlement money and spend it on a comprehensive program: in the last two years we have seen a rection of about 30% in smoking rates among our teens. We have changed the way people feel about tobacco. In my case I got the court to order this Foundation to be established. I knew that if we gave all the money to the legislature we could have trouble getting enough back for prevention. This move has been very effective. Why didn't the other AGs do the same? Most of them thought this case is about bringing back money to the people so it should go back to their representatives, the legislature. In my case, the Governor was very much opposed to our lawsuit so it created an incentive to ask the court to protect part of the money.
Q4. In Massachusetts the tobacco control budget has been dramatically cut and similar reductions happened in other states. How big a backlash is possible?
Mike Moore: You have to educate the people about what's going on. I don't think the average person understands what's going on. During the case there was a big public awareness but now that we won people don't know what is done with the settlement. There should be some outrage but you have to make the tobacco issue real for people. The stats alone are not sufficient. You have to tell the personal stories, give personal details: this is my dad, this is my sister, this is my niece. You have to connect the issues with real people, real kids. When people start thinking about tobacco as the number one cause of death in America and there is a proven vaccine. Each person has to really believe so we have to prove the message. We have to continue the programs that work and paint a real picture of the damages. You have to tap into this emotion. Then you have a constitutency. If you don't, you become very vulnerable to the usual way the debate is framed to cut funding: do you want us to raise taxes or to tap into the tobacco settlement money? Even when tobacco taxes are raised, as they have been recently in many states, most of the time no extra money goes to prevention. It is so shortsighted. Look at the state of Mississipi: we are poor but we are devoting $28 million every year to our comprehensive tobacco control program. Think about the Exxon Waldez story, how it was portrayed, how people felt compelled to clean up the mess. There was litigation, there was a settlement and they used the money to clean up the mess. They had to.
Q5. What is your advice for tobacco control advocates in the coming months, years?
Mike Moore: I don't want the folks to lose hope. There was a huge expectation. Don't give up. This is an ongoing battle. Make it real, make it immediate, you can do something today. This is not a sprint, this is a marathon. A lot of stats don't have action power. You need someone who is identified against tobacco. If you don't have a champion your cause is not really seen.
Q6. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Mike Moore: You also have to include the youth. If you don't have twice as many young people as adults among your people, you are a fool. In Mississipi we recruited our young people, thousands of them. You have to do more. Now.
Thank you Mike for taking the time to be with us.
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