Public Health Foundation Warns Against

American Legacy Foundation and Ad Council Use Humor to Call Attention to Dangers of Secondhand Smoke,
Welcome Jason Alexander as Director of PSAs

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 28, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- "Daddy's gas could kill us all!" exclaims a young girl in a new public service advertisement (PSA) from the American Legacy Foundation®. Legacy welcomes EMMY-nominated actor Jason Alexander, of CFM International, as director of the television PSAs. While designed to elicit a few laughs from viewers, the foundation hopes the PSAs will also capture people's attention about a serious issue: the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Don't Pass Gas, a public service health campaign from Legacy and the Ad Council, is designed to educate Americans -- especially parents -- about the dangers of secondhand smoke and to motivate them to create smoke-free environments for their families. Earlier this year, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona announced that no level of secondhand smoke is safe. Research indicates that one in five children with a smoking parent is exposed to secondhand smoke at home, and these children are at increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, lung infections, ear infections and severe asthma. The report points to the need to continue to educate Americans about the serious health risks posed by secondhand smoke.

"We're optimistic that our partnership with the Ad Council will attract the public's attention and lead them to make positive decisions for their families," foundation President and CEO Cheryl Healton, Dr. P.H. said. "We recognize how powerfully addictive smoking is, and we encourage smokers to quit and provide other programs to help them do so. But we also recognize it is very difficult to quit, and many smokers lack the tools and resources to do so effectively. This campaign asks smokers that are continuing to struggle with their addiction to please be mindful of protecting their families from the devastating effects of secondhand smoke and not smoke around other people."

Don't Pass Gas was initially launched in January 2005, and the campaign now features two new television PSAs, directed by first-time commercial director Jason Alexander. Audiences recognize Alexander as the character George Costanza from the popular TV show Seinfeld.

"We're being tongue-in-cheek about the fact that cigarette smoke has some toxic gases involved, and therefore it's a hazardous situation for the secondhand breathers—the non-smokers—who could be affected by it," Alexander said. "It is a spot that is asking for consideration and etiquette, and asking smokers to be sensitive to areas where they could be exposing non-smokers to smoke. It is essentially asking them to remove themselves from environments where they might be smoking and go outside."

The two spots, entitled Dinner and Movie, focus on family members or friends wanting to step away to "pass gas." The audience learns that the "gas" being referenced is actually secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is a mixture of gases and extremely small solid materials, thus the irreverent play on words transposing secondhand smoke with "passing gas." Don't Pass Gas is the first national, multi-media campaign to address the issue of secondhand smoke.

"The prevalence and effects of secondhand smoke are devastating," said Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of The Advertising Council. "We are proud to continue our campaign with the American Legacy Foundation to further increase awareness on this critically important issue. The new spots are humorous, memorable and motivating."

Per the Ad Council model, the PSAs were distributed to more than 28,000 media outlets nationwide in mid-November and will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the individual media outlets.

The Don't Pass Gas campaign also includes radio and Internet advertising. The public can visit www.DontPassGas.org for information on the dangers of secondhand smoke and to find resources for families. Callers can also phone the toll-free number 1-888-NO PASS GAS to receive more information on secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical substances, including several known human carcinogens. In June 2004, Legacy released other data showing that a small reduction in tobacco smoke exposure would spare thousands of children from devastating health problems, including fewer low birth-weight babies, fewer cases of asthma and fewer ear infections.

The best actions parents can take to protect their families from secondhand smoke are:

Make your home smoke-free
Keep your car smoke-free
Stop smoking around children

The American Legacy Foundation is currently piloting a comprehensive smoking cessation program in four cities across the country. The program, EXSM, aims to change the way smokers feel about the difficult process of quitting smoking, and points them to BecomeAnEx.org where they have access to valuable resources to guide their quit attempt.

Don't Pass Gas ads were created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, based in Miami, Florida. Crispin is the American Legacy Foundation's agency of record for the award-winning truth® youth smoking prevention campaign, along with Arnold Worldwide of Boston.