Florida's Truth Campaign in Jeopardy
03/11/99
Florida's groundbreaking pilot program to stop teen smoking is in trouble of getting canceled, and not because of tobacco lobbyists.
Although the tobacco industry contributed $425,000 into the Florida political campaigns last fall they say they are not the ones who want to kill the "Truth" campaign. "We are watching from the sidelines," said John French, lobbyist for Phillip Morris. "Heck we're way out beyond the stadium on the other side of the railroad tracks, we're so far away from this." The main reason the campaign is in jeopardy is because the Republican leaders are divided on whether or not the campaign is working. Supporters, who insist it is working, are hoping the Senate will allocate the $61.5 million recommended by Gov. Bush. The money for the campaign comes from the state's $13.2 billion settlement with the tobacco industry reached in 1997.
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