Truth Initiative Joins #StopHateForProfit Campaign

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Truth Initiative^®, the national public health organization behind the proven-effective truth^® youth smoking, vaping and nicotine prevention campaign, has announced it will pause all truth Facebook and Instagram advertising for the month of July, standing in solidarity with the #StopHateForProfit campaign. This action reflects Truth Initiative's commitment to saving lives by protecting the nation's most vulnerable populations and being agents of change in the fight against social injustice and racism as a public health issue.

"Truth Initiative is proud to join the #StopHateForProfit campaign to disrupt Facebook Inc.'s history of allowing bad actors to use its platforms to do harm. In taking this action, we call on the social media giant to take immediate measures to stop the spread of hate speech, misinformation and dangerous propaganda threatening free and fair elections," said Robin Koval, CEO and President of Truth Initiative. "The actions we take define us. Facebook has an opportunity to create meaningful change by putting social good above profits and to use its massive power to create change for the better. We hope they heed the call and act swiftly."

The #StopHateForProfit campaign, organized by the ADL, NAACP, Sleeping Giants, Common Sense, Free Press and Color of Change, calls on Facebook's advertisers to demand that the social media giant address its long history of allowing racist, violent and verifiably false content to run rampant on its platforms. Truth Initiative stands with #StopHateForProfit in saying Facebook's profits will never be worth promoting hate bigotry, racism, antisemitism and violence.

About Truth Initiative:
Truth Initiative is a national public health organization that is inspiring lives free from smoking, vaping and nicotine and building a culture where all young people reject tobacco. In 2020, we are celebrating 20 years of saving lives and preventing millions of youth from smoking. Our impact has helped drive the teen smoking rate down from 23% in 2000 to an all-time low of 3.7% in 2019. The truth about tobacco and the tobacco industry are at the heart of our proven-effective and nationally recognized truth® public education campaign. truth has also recently taken on the youth epidemics of vaping and opioids. Our rigorous scientific research and policy studies, community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco and innovation in tobacco dependence treatment, are also helping to end one of the most critical public health battles of our time. Based in Washington D.C., our organization, formerly known as the American Legacy Foundation, was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more, visit truthinitiative.org.

SOURCE Truth Initiative

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