March 20th was Kick Butts Day, a national day of action sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids intended to bring attention to the importance of tobacco prevention. To celebrate Kick Butts Day, the North Carolina Alliance for Health sponsored a film screening of the documentary Addiction Incorporated, which tells the story of Victor DeNoble, one of the most important and influential whistleblowers against the tobacco industry of all time. DeNoble was a research scientist at a major tobacco company and during his research he proved something that the industry had been denying for years: that cigarettes were addictive.
In a true act of modern-day heroism, DeNoble took his findings to the people despite a strict confidentiality agreement, and his findings helped lead to the Master Settlement Agreement and the first federal regulation of the tobacco industry. The film was a reminder of how far the tobacco prevention movement has come, but also a reminder of how much work there is still to do. After the screening, experts spoke about the challenges facing tobacco prevention advocates in North Carolina today.
To learn more about the North Carolina Alliance for Health visit their website at www.ncallianceforhealth.org.
Blog content provided by Lee Storrow, a You're the Cure volunteer.
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