Patrick
Reynolds' advocacy work, motivational talks to youth and appearances
in the national press have made him a well known and respected champion
of a smokefree society. He has helped remind millions of people of the
dangers of smoking.
Patrick watched his father, RJ Reynolds, Jr., his oldest brother RJ Reynolds
III, and other members of his family die from cigarette-induced emphysema
and lung cancer. Concerned about the mounting health evidence, in 1986
he made the decision to speak out against the industry his family helped
build. He became the first tobacco industry figure to do so.
A grandson of tobacco company founder RJ Reynolds, Patrick first spoke out publicly at a Congressional hearing, in favor of a ban on all cigarette advertising (1986). In late 2003, former US Surgeon General C. Everett Koop commented, "Patrick Reynolds is one of the nation's most influential advocates of a smokefree America. His testimony is invaluable to our society."
Mr. Reynolds testified again in Congress in 1987, joining the many voices
who helped bring about the present ban of smoking on all US domestic
flights.
In 1989, Mr. Reynolds founded the Foundation
for a Smokefree America, a nonprofit group whose mission is to motivate
youth to stay tobacco free, and to empower smokers to quit successfully.
He is a frequent speaker colleges, middle schools, and high schools, presenting
his unique talk, The Truth
About Tobacco, which combines motivational speaking with tobacco education.
He is also a popular guest lecturer on university campuses, giving his
talk Tobacco Wars. Over
the years, Patrick has now presented his live talk to over 150,000 students.
In late 2006 Mr. Reynolds will release a new DVD for families, A
Talk With Your Kids About Smoking. The video is of a live motivational
talk he gave to 1,000 ninth graders. Illustrated with award-winning TV
spots, film clips and anti-smoking graphics, the video sends an empowering
message to youth about cigarette advertising, smoking in films, and the
addictiveness of nicotine. It closes with Mr. Reynolds' unique initiation
for teens, and his inspirational message
of hope for the future, especially needed by youth in a time of terrorism
and uncertainty about the future. The video has won much acclaim from educators.
Mr. Reynolds has spoken before dozens of municipal and State legislatures,
in support of proposed smoking ordinances which became law. Over the years, he has
campaigned for numerous State cigarette tax increases, vending machine
bans, 100% smoking bans, and laws to limit youth access and campaign finance reform. He also approached
several members of the US Congress about the aggressive advertising of
US brands in the Third World and Asia.
Recently Patrick Reynolds has called for governors and State legislators to maintain or increase teen tobacco prevention spending; only three states meet the CDC recommended minimum (see link at the end of this paragraph for the current number). Reynolds points out, "When tobacco prevention programs are adequately funded for five years or more, states such Florida have seen a 50% drop in the middle school smoking rate and a 35% cut in high school smoking. On the other hand, states with poorly funded programs have not seen this kind of decrease in the youth smoking rate." To check your state's current spending on these programs, please see www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/settlements.
From
1975 - 1985 Reynolds was an actor, and appeared in numerous TV shows and films,
including The Tony Randall Show, Bernice Bobs Her Hair, and starred as
the half-man half-robot Mandroid, in Eliminators in
1986.
In 1989, Little, Brown published a colorful family biography he co-authored, The
Gilded Leaf, which spans three generations of the RJ Reynolds family.
It came back into print in 2006 through the publisher iUniverse.com. In 1988, the UN's World Health Organization honored him with a special
award. In 1989, Chicago's Mt. Sinai Hospital awarded him its Humanitarian
of the Year award.
In 2007 he will marry Alexandra Olympios in Los Angeles.
High
resolution art and press materials
Recent news articles
Statements
of support by well known Americans
Video
clips from his live talk
Comments
from school faculty on his live talk
Educational
video for youth
Media
testimonials
Journalists'
FAQs
SC Legislature Press Conference, 1988
Contact: Lupe Lopez, Tobaccofree.Org
Tel: 1 (310) 471-0303
(800) 541-7741
Advocacy and Speaking to Youth
Since 1986 - See news interviews
Since 1999 - Mr. Reynolds has repeatedly called for State legislators to more adequately fund tobacco education and prevention programs, which have proven to be very effective in reducing youth smoking rates. See end of bio, above.
November 20, 2002 Mr. Reynolds organized and moderated a discussion panel and Q&A for the 2002 Conference on Tobacco or Health, in San Francisco. Titled Finding Our Voices: The need to be more outspoken, the panel included six leading tobaccofree advocates. The purpose is to instruct conference attendees on how to address issues such as State Legislatures cutting back tobacco education funding, without jeopardizing their organizations' tax-exempt status or their jobs.
October 30 - November 3, 2002 - Mr. Reynolds campaigned for Florida's Amendment 6, the historic ballot measure which provided for a Statewide 100% smoking ban in Florida restaurants. Just prior to the November 5th election, he went on a three day press tour, in Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee and Tampa, to champion the measure as a private citizen. Florida voters approved the measure by a landslide 70%, despite arguments from the opposition that it would alter the Florida Constitution. It was historic because it was the first State to achieve a smoking ban in restaurants through a ballot measure. Previously, legislatures in just two States had passed a Statewide ban. See links to related news articles.
October 29, 2002 - Mr. Reynolds campaigned in four Michigan cities, championing Proposal 4 as a private citizen. This ballot measure would have set aside 90% of Michigan’s tobacco settlement funds for health. As of that date, Michigan's legislature had allocated no settlement funds for tobacco education, and this measure would have done so. Sadly, the measure failed in the election.
May 2002 - Lobbied Delaware's Governor to sign a bill strongly limiting smoking Statewide in Delaware. The bill was passed by the Legislature, but the governor had come under increasing pressure to not sign it. The Governor signed the bill, and the measure took effect November 27, 2002. .
April 2002 - Debated on CNN's Talkback Live in favor of a NYC condo board's right to turn down future condo sales to smokers, due to complaints from existing occupants about second hand smoke passing into their apartments through the building's ventilation system.
October 2001 - Worked together with tobacco control advocates at Tobacco Free Ohio in Columbus, to try to stop the State legislature from passing a bill quietly advocated by Big Tobacco. It threatened to halt progress in the fight to protect the Ohio public from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Unfortunately, Senate Bill 128 passed, and the local Ohio Boards of Health were stripped of the authority to pass local smoking regulations.
May 2001 - Suggested to the American Legacy Foundation that they develop a TV ad campaign to inspire US youth to believe more in the future, as a new way of motivating them to stay healthy and avoid tobacco and other substances. (Since September 11th, 2001, worry among youth has increased, and it's notable that since that day, teen smoking rates in New York City have increased. ) Mr. Reynolds submitted a TV spot on this, along with a letter calling attention to the findings of a Coca-Cola marketing study which showed that large numbers of today's teens suffer from anxiety about the future, and have a keen sense of diminished expectations (Time, May 30, 1994). His letter also mentioned the recent Yankelovich Partners study, which shows that 50% of children ages 9 to 17 are worried about dying young (Time, May 3, 1999, "Numbers"). "In the face of an uncertain tomorrow," said Mr. Reynolds, "today's teens are more prone to take increased risks, like smoking or drug use, and just live for the moment." An article Reynolds wrote on this was published in the Stanford Medical Review in 1999. It suggested that the new teen pessimism is a significant, and previously unidentified, factor in the 73% increase in teen smoking since 1988 (CDC study, 1998). In May 2001, to address this, Reynolds submitted a new TV spot designed to inspire faith in the future among teens, to the American Legacy Foundation's ad agency, Arnold Communications. A section of Reynolds' new educational video, The Truth About Tobacco, also aims to inspire youth to believe more strongly in the future. "Teens with a stronger outlook about the years ahead will clearly be more motivated to take care of their health," he says. The educational video is for 7th - 12th graders, and is of a live motivational talk Mr. Reynolds gave before 1,000 ninth graders. It has to date been purchased by 2,000 US schools. Reynolds concludes this unique section of the video by saying, "Hold on to your health, because the future is looking incredible. So don't smoke, don't drink, and don't use drugs -- because you're going to need your health in the amazing times ahead!"
May 2001 - Suggested to the American Legacy Foundation's ad agency Arnold Communications that they develop a TV ad campaign to create wide awareness among children and teens about the truth about countertop tobacco displays. "Cigarettes are not normal, acceptable products, but in-store displays make it appear to kids that they are," says Mr. Reynolds. "It's unacceptable that stores keep them at child eye level, where tobacco products are often much too easy to steal. Displays often face away from the cashier, and many stores place them next to the candy. The TV spot I wrote helps create a new awareness among children that tobacco displays are just paid advertising, with stores receiving up to $100 per month for every in-store display. I believe this spot would help empower many children to avoid being deceived by this kind of advertising, and perhaps avoid smoking."
April 2001 - Wrote an editorial criticizing President Bush's budget, which de-funded the Justice Department's lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Reynolds wrote, "This move is a brazen protection by the President of Big Tobacco. It means a possible $100 billion savings to them. According to Common Cause, the tobacco companies gave over $5.37 million in campaign donations in 1999 and 2000 -- with $4.7 million, or 88%, going to Republicans. Is it really just a coincidence that Bush drastically cut the funding of the Federal lawsuit against Big Tobacco? No corporation gives away millions of dollars without a good reason. DOJ lawyers say they need $57 million to continue, but Bush is offering just $1.8 million. In truth, it means the end of the Federal lawsuit." Later, in July when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a measure reinforcing Bush's intention, Reynolds issued a press release to call public attention to it.
March 2001 - Lobbied New York's City Council to strengthen a proposed new smoking law to ban smoking 100% from New York City's restaurants
June 2000 - Mr. Reynolds was one of thousands who successfully lobbied their Senators to eliminate a clause in a pending bill which would have effectively killed the new Federal lawsuit against Big Tobacco by the Justice Department.
April 2000 - He campaigned unsuccessfully to stop the Florida legislature from passing a bill limiting Big Tobacco's liability to $50 million, in anticipation of a multi-billion award in the smokers' class action suit in that State, expected in July, 2000.
April 2000 - Mr. Reynolds championed a new Los Angeles law from City Attorney Hahn banning countertop tobacco displays, and instituting sting operations and loss of permit to sell tobacco, upon repeatedly selling cigarettes to minors.
February, 2000 - He held a news conference to criticize LA Mayor Richard Riordan for his proposed plan to spend all of L.A.'s tobacco settlement funds, $300 million over 25 years, to pay for expected lawsuits by victims of the LAPD Rampart division's corruption.
February, 2000 - Mr. Reynolds was one of many activists advocating a no vote on California's Prop 28. The measure failed; had it passed, it would have decreased California's cigarette tax by 50 cents per pack.