Coalition Congratulates Life Education Trust

Smokefree Coalition Congratulates Life Education Trust For Stance On Tobacco Industry Money

4 April 2007

The Smokefree Coalition is congratulating the Life Education Trust for its decision to no longer accept funding from British American Tobacco (BAT). The Trust, which provides health-based education in schools - including a module on the effects of legal and illegal drugs - has received funding from BAT for a number of years.

Smokefree Coalition Director Mark Peck says the Trust's tobacco industry funding had long concerned the Smokefree community, and he was delighted the funding arrangement had ceased.

"We all know that funding is not easy to find, and the Life Education Trust is to be congratulated for making the hard call and ending its association with BAT. It was the right thing to do.

"The tobacco industry makes many millions of dollars a year from the sale of tobacco to young people. Many of these young people get hooked, putting them at risk of tobacco-related illnesses and early death as adults.

"Meanwhile, the industry funds youth drug-use prevention programmes, and uses this as an example of why they are responsible corporate citizens.

"Smoking prevention programmes offered to children and young people should never have any links to the tobacco industry. Good on you Life Education Trust for putting the kids first."

ENDS

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