Cigarette Smoking

Hooray for the American Medical Assn. coming out so strongly, at last, against cigarette advertising. Bravo for their intention to stop cigarette companies’ sponsorship of tennis and golf tournaments--that cleverly insidious way of keeping brand names on sportscasters’ lips.

Sorry, tobacco industry: all of your billions can’t convince us that smoking is athletic, wholesome or outdoorsy. Every time we see an ad featuring a would-be athlete with a tennis towel draped around his neck and a cigarette hanging from his mouth, we’re appalled by the industry’s (and their ad agencies’) attempts to cash in on the physical fitness movement by connecting smoking and sports.

With the AMA’s help, perhaps we can do something about tobacco-related deaths--350,000 in America last year. Maybe we can even find something else for the North Carolinians to do with their land.

MARTI and JOE PASKAL

Beverly Hills