The major tobacco companies are convicted racketeers. After many years of industry delays, the major U.S. tobacco companies have begun to display "corrective statement" advertisements in retail stores, one of the original corrective requirements of the judge who found them guilty. These signs tell the American people the truth about the tobacco companies’ deadly and addictive products after they lied for decades about the health effects of smoking and their marketing to children. More than 220,000 stores across the U.S. will display signage until June 30, 2025.
Example of a “corrective statement” advertisement or sign:
What can you do?
To ensure stores are complying with the court order, a tip line has been provided as a resource to the public. Individuals can do their own informal audits of stores and then use the tip line to report any suspected noncompliance to the third-party auditor being used to enforce this court-order. Tips can point to stores that should be the subject of future in-person audits.
The tip line provides an indispensable opportunity for the public to assist the independent auditor in monitoring compliance. Whether you would like to actively seek out stores in your area, or just happen to come across signs at your local store, we encourage you to follow the steps below:
- Locate your retailers using the tipline website or this spreadsheet
- Submit a tip if you find the sign to be noncompliant based on these rules
Page last updated: November 8, 2023
