RE: A policy against the display of tobacco promotions in patient areas

Dear [Sent to every managed care, hospital, and health department in Maryland],

MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, would like to propose an initiative that could be important in addressing one of the principal underlying causes of disease in our society.

We are asking Maryland hospitals, managed care organizations and health department clinics to consider establishing a policy against the display, in patient areas and gift shops, periodicals which promote tobacco use through advertisements. The rationale for such a policy is supported in the full text of the enclosed resolution adopted by the MedChi House of Delegates on September 9 2000.

Aggressive marketing of tobacco products, for which the tobacco industry spends over $6 billion dollars a year in the U.S., is extremely effective at promoting high rates of tobacco addiction. This fact has been documented in numerous scholarly studies published in peer reviewed medical journals (see enclosed bibliography). Tobacco addiction is by far our society's number one cause of preventable death and disease and contributes dramatically to health care expenditures. Promotional messages in the form of advertisements in waiting room magazines serve to undermine the efforts of health care providers in helping patients overcome this addiction.

After you have had a chance to consider such a policy, we would greatly appreciate a response to this request. Ideally, we would hope your response would outline your organization's policy against the display of tobacco advertisements in patient areas and gift shops. We respectfully suggest that in cases where your institution currently subscribes to one of the periodicals, you consider writing the publisher canceling the subscription with an explanation as to the reasons for this. We are enclosing a list of popular periodicals without tobacco advertising.

This approach is based on our strong belief that the medical, managed care, and hospital communities must work together not only to treat established disease, but also to address the societal causes which underlie the spread of the modern epidemics of heart disease, lung disease, cancer and stroke. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this policy. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

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