WASHINGTON — The American Red Cross has found a big donor in big tobacco, and it’s now under big pressure to say, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
That pressure is coming from all sides. The International Red Cross, which has included an anti-smoking message in its latest public health campaign, has urged all of its members to stop taking money from the tobacco industry. At the same time, various public health organizations are speaking out.
Laurent Huber, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health, says he found the news of the tobacco industry donations “shocking.”
“The fact that a group that works on health would take money from a corporation that is a vector of disease is really surprising and could really undermine their credibility,” Huber says.
A spokeswoman for the American Red Cross tells Reuters the organization is happy to accept any money that supports its disaster relief efforts. It’s unclear exactly how much money has been donated by the tobacco industry, but Reuters says tax records and other public documents indicate at least $12 million has changed hands.
The result has been a rising tension between the American Red Cross and its parent body, with critics of the donations chiming in that the money is nothing more than an effort by the tobacco industry to improve its image and put its products in a more favorable light.
Huber says big tobacco is using it as “a form of marketing.” He says while the disaster relief work that the American Red Cross is known for is “absolutely fantastic and worth funding,” this is not the way to raise the money.
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