Tobacco has no place in athletics, and certainly not at any of the nation's premiere sporting events that are very popular and widely televised. That's why I'm incredibly grateful to advocates from a coalition of 10 public health groups, including ACS CAN and the American Cancer Society, who were the driving force behind the Orange Bowl Committee's and National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) recent decision to cancel Camacho Cigars' sponsorship of the Orange Bowl, which will be played tonight. The public health community came together as a powerful force determined to repeal the planned sponsorship by sending letters to the Orange Bowl and the NCAA expressing outrage over the proposed sponsorship, and 1,275 advocates followed up with more than 5,000 email messages voicing their concerns. Davidoff of Geneva, parent company of Camacho Cigars, announced in mid-December that it had signed a three-year deal making Camacho Cigars a corporate sponsor of the Orange Bowl Festival, which included the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Discover Orange Bowls, the 2013 Discover BCS National Championship game and all related fan events. Under the sponsorship agreement, Camacho Cigars would have had a substantial presence at Sun Life Stadium, with cigar lounges open to fans, and a Camacho Club Lounge at the Orange Bowl Game Day Fan Zone, the largest pre-game event. Thank you to all the advocates who took time out over the holidays to voice their concerns to the Orange Bowl Committee and the NCAA resulting in a public health win. The victory should also be shared by the Orange Bowl Committee and the NCAA who had the courage to correct this matter by canceling the sponsorship. Their decision averts a situation that could have sent a very dangerous message to this country's youth.
Today’s blog is one of a series of posts highlighting how ACS CAN is examining, prioritizing and pursuing policy interventions that ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to prevent, find, treat and survive cancer. Achieving health equity in communities nationwide is a cornerstone of our mission.