Tobacco activist talks at Penn

Speaking before a group of about 40 students and faculty members, William Novelli, a College and Annenberg alumnus and one of the most influential players in the anti-tobacco lobby, warned of the coming battles in the tobacco war and the potential repercussions for the Penn community. Addressing the dangers involved in dealing with the tobacco industry, Novelli -- the executive vice president of the National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids -- carefully laid out problems he saw in the near future. The industry has seen great volatility within the last year due to numerous federal and state anti-tobacco campaigns. According to Novelli, the University faces a threat more immediate than lung cancer and other smoking-related diseases. "The University's reputation is at issue," Novelli said. Novelli summed up what could be a potentially disastrous public relations fiasco for the University by citing two recent issues. The first involves a grant recently accepted from Phillip Morris by School of Social Work Dean Ira Schwartz. The grant could potentially link the University with a company not popular in the eyes of many people. Even more amazing, as Novelli pointed out, was the fact that this is not the first time the University has accepted money from tobacco companies. The other issue which could influence the University's reputation is the link between Public Policy and Management Studies Department Chairperson Elizabeth Bailey -- who also sits on the board of directors at Phillip Morris -- and the tobacco industry, according to Novelli. He found that credible organizations such as philanthropies, art societies and even the University have indirectly justified the cause of the industry. Even with the recent success of the anti-tobacco lobby, Novelli warned that acceptance of such donations "makes tobacco right." Novelli, who founded Proter/Novelli, one of the nation's largest public-relations firms, left his position there to join the National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids after realizing the importance of the cause for which it stands. "If we could just reduce the number of kids who start smoking by half, we could make a dramatic difference," Novelli said. He added that he experienced the pain smoking-related diseases can bring first-hand after his favorite uncle died from the illness. The National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids played an active part in the developments last summer when Congress deliberated on anti-tobacco legislation. Students were generally impressed with Novelli's expertise and experience. "[He discussed] a spectrum of issues on both past and future issues in the anti-tobacco lobby." College freshman Stan Markus said. And College sophomore Sara Honig said she found Novelli's dedication to his cause admirable. Novelli spoke to a larger University audience last May, when he served as the keynote speaker for the Annenberg School for Communication's graduation exercises.