whose wells were contaminated with the Although Martina Navratilova con The proliferation of cigarette-spon pesticide ethylene dibromide (EDB). tinues to participate in Philip Morris' sored sports and entertainment events, For many years EDB was used routinely Virginia Slims cigarettes tennis circuit as referred to in the Journal, is particu in J J6 tobacco fields in the Connecticut and has worn an outfit at Wimbledon larly interesting since it reflects a strat River Valley, and tobacco is the only with the logo and colors of another cig egy by which the industry enables its crop in the state 011 which EDB was arette brand, to the best of my knowl name and logo to become Jssociated with used. The tobacco companies were also edge neither she nor any other current socially redeerning cultural events. ordered to pay for a study of EDB con professional tennis player has ever However, not all public fii urc have al tamination in the Connecticut River sported a non-smoking symbol on her lowed their name and reputation to be Valley and to monitor ground ..water uniform. Nor have there been any at exploited in this way. near wells found to have EDB concen tempts to counteract the association of For example, a world class runner and c trations above the maximum allowable cigarette brands with the image of suc Boston Marathon winner, Bill Rodgers, level. cessful professional tennis players. refused to participate in a road race in If women athletes-or the parents of New England last year after learning participants as young as 14-truly that one of the sponsors was a tobacco wished to clear the air, they could de company (American Brands). This year Cigarettes and sports stars mand that the tournament be renamed in Canada, downhill ski champion Steve for something other than a cigarette Podborski refused to accept the winner's TO THE EDITOR: In the excellent New brand name, that the cigarette adver cup in a major race in protest against the York State Journal of Medicine of De tising banners be removed from courtside sponsorship by a tobacco company (R J cember 1983, devoted to smoking, I was and the scoreboards, that cigarette ad Reynolds-MacDonald); the Canadian impressed the most from a personal national slalom champion, Jim Read, standpoint by the paper of Dr Mary Ann vertisements be deleted from souvenir returned his trophy for the same Cromer,1 in which she pointed the finger programs, that free distribution of cig arettes be stopped, that the logo of the at me along with Billie Jean King and reason. tournament be changed from that of a Martina Navratilova for playing in At the other end of the spectrum is womafi\ holding a tennis racket in one professional tennis tournaments pro Billie Jean King who when asked by hand and a cigarette in the other, and moted by Virginia Slims cigarettes. In GASP last year in Boston why she allows that an alternate sponsor be sought. feeble defense I offer the following. her name to be associated with Virginia Such changes would reduce the ex As professionals we had little choice Slims cigarettes,, replied that she believes ploitation of women by the tobacco in but to play the "Slims" circuit because in "free enterprise and that it's up to the dustry. it was the major circuit of tournaments. woman herself." In a related incident, the Boston To not play would be tantamount to stop In the entertainment field, in 1982 branch of the American Medical earning a living from professional tennis. GASP contacted several stars of a music W.omen's Association has protested the For Billie Jean and Martina this is not a series being promoted as the "Camel use by a cigarette company of an athletic Concerts on the Common." Singers realistic alternative. Fortunately for me, facility on the Boston University campus James Taylor and Peter, Paul, and Mary I have returned to the practice of medi for the Virginia Slims tournament. But were outraged that they had not been cine and I no longer play in professional letters to the University's president have told of the cigarette sponsorship and events nor do I make any appearances at been largely ignored. Somehow I doubt announced that they would perform in events sponsored by a cigarette manu an objection by Dr Richards would be the concert series only if it were not as facturer. I was never happy, nor am I similarly ignored. Would she care to sociated with Camel cigarettes. In a now, with the fact that a cigarette com prove me wrong? cloud of unfavorable publicity, R J pany is the major promoter of women's Reynolds pulled out. professional tennis. MARY ANN CROMER, MD These are instances where public fig Just for the record let me add the fol Somerville Hospital lowing. Billie Jean King, Martina Nav 230 Highland Avenue ures have taken courageous stands ratilova, and Renee Richards are all Somerville, MA 02143 against being involved in sophisticated and deceptive cigarette promotions. three totally opposed to smoking and are They provide models of action for all dedicated to setting a healthy example those athletes and entertainers who say for tennis players and non-tennis players it just can't be done. alike. The rare courage of RITA ADDISON RENEE RICHARDS, MD public role models Group Against Smoking Pollution (GASP) 40 Park Avenue TO THE EDITOR: Your December 1983 New England Deaconess Hospital New York, NY 10016 issue devoted entirely to smoking-related 25 Deaconess Road articles was a real landmark. You are to Boston, MA 02215 I. Cromer MA: "Precious baby." NY State J Med 1983; 83: 1292. be commended for bringing together so many of the world's most authoritative voices, joined in outrage against smok In reply: Dr Richards and I seem to ing. As the head of Group Against have very different points of view on al Smoking Pollution (GASP) of Massa Defeating the tobacco lobby ternatives to cigarette company spon chusetts for the last six years, I have TO THE EDITOR: On behalf of the sorship of sports and on the bargaining learned firsthand how powerful the to American Heart Association I would like power of athletes over the products and bacco companies have made themselves, to commend the New York State Jour settings to which their image is juxta and how pervasively their network of nal of Medicine for its excellent De posed. influence extends around the world. cember edition devoted entirely to ciga-
162 NEW YORK STATE JOURNAL OF MEDICINE/APRIL 1984