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American Legacy Foundation® Welcomes New Board Member

7/15/2008

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller Brings History of Fighting for Tobacco Control to Board

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller has been appointed to the board of directors for the American Legacy Foundation^®, a national public health foundation dedicated to reducing tobacco use in the U.S.  Miller was a prominent figure in the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) between tobacco companies and 46 states and five U.S. territories, which resulted in the companies paying billions of dollars to the states and put strong limitations on the tactics the tobacco companies use to advertise and market their deadly products to young people.

Since then, General Miller has been a leader in enforcing the public health and economic provisions of the MSA – which brought more than $1.7 billion to Iowa – and he remains a strong proponent of increased funding for the state’s tobacco prevention and cessation programs. He was one of the first public officials in Iowa to support an increase in cigarette sales taxes – which have a proven effect on reducing smoking rates, especially for youth. Miller is also an advocate for clean indoor air and in 2003, the American Legacy Foundation helped support a report on secondhand smoke that Miller’s office released to educate communities on the subject.

“We are honored to have Attorney General Miller serve on our Board of Directors,” said Dr. Cheryl Healton, President and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation. “His historical perspective on tobacco control and continued dedication to this issue in Iowa will be an invaluable asset to the foundation as we look forward.” The American Legacy Foundation was created out of the landmark Master Settlement Agreement, with the mission to build a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. It is a requirement of the MSA that the American Legacy Foundation’s Board of Directors include two Attorneys General.

Miller has earned a reputation for integrity, high quality legal work, and strong work on behalf of ordinary Iowans. He has a long record of achieving results through cooperation with other state attorneys general and with local, state and federal officials on a number of issues protecting Americans.

He has served as president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) and has chaired several NAAG committees that he led major multi-state working groups focused on tobacco issues, antitrust enforcement, agriculture, and consumer protection. Miller is a past recipient of NAAG’s Kelley-Wyman Award, given annually by the Attorneys General to the “Outstanding Attorney General” who has accomplished the most to further the goals of the nation’s attorneys general.

"It's an honor for me to be asked to serve on the Board of Directors of the American Legacy Foundation and to play a role in the foundation’s important work,” said Miller.  “Legacy has made important strides in helping to reduce youth smoking rates in this country with its innovative campaigns and dedication to its life saving mission.  I very much look forward to providing my best counsel to the board based on my knowledge, expertise and passion for tobacco control issues."

The American Legacy Foundation^® is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the foundation develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, especially among vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco, through grants, technical assistance and training, partnerships, youth activism, and counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns. The foundation’s programs include truth^®, a national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as contributing to significant declines in youth smoking; EX^®, an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use; and a nationally-renowned program of outreach to priority populations. The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit http://www.americanlegacy.org/.

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Contact: Julia Cartwright, 202-454-5596, jcartwright@americanlegacy.org