Clearing The Air

Monday, March 12, 2007

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation confirms that smoking bans are a great source of profit for pharmaceutical nicotine interests and quitlines

The Johnson & Johnson Company affiliate RWJF has provided funding to the American Legacy Foundation in an effort to ensure its products are promoted and sold through smoking cessation organizations. (J & J is the manufacturer of Nicoderm, Nicoderm CQ, Nicotrol, Nicorette, Commit and other smoking cessation products)

This recent RWJF grant says it all:

Improving the potential of U.S. quitlines to capitalize on tobacco policy control success

Grant Detail:
$399,925, (awarded on Nov 14, 2006, starting Dec 15, 2006 ending Dec 14, 2008) ID# 58531

Grantee:
North American Quitline Consortium http://www.NAQuitline.orq 4142 East Stanford DrivePhoenix, AZ 85018-1657(602) 595-3273

Contact Information:
Linda A. Bailey J.D., M.H.S. (Project Director)lbailey@americanlegacy.org Phone: (602) 595-3273

For a time, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation tried to keep a low profile regarding their role and purpose for funding smoking ban efforts. With the grant information above, RWJF seems to be making a bold new statement......they no longer are hiding their method or motive for funding smoking bans.......it's all about the profit for them and their parent company Johnson & Johnson. (RWJF owns 80,000,000 shares of J & J stock, a $5.4 billion holding)