Monday, August 08, 2005

Boycott Johnson & Johnson for their participation in smoking ban legislation....to increase their profits

The hospitality industry, consisting of bar & restaurant owners, employees suppliers, and vendors call for the boycott of Johnson & Johnson company and its products.

Johnson & Johnson company thru its wholly owned subsidiary ALZA corporation is a primary supplier of pharmaceutical nicotine products such as Nicotrol, Nicoderm, and Nicoderm CQ nicotine patches. And as such Johnson & Johnson company is one of the largest sources of funding to promote smoking bans thru our local governments and politicians, Johnson & Johnson company does this thru their sister organization Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. RWJF does not directly spend lobbying money to influence our politicians, rather they have provided $200,000,000.00 + to the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, American Non-Smokers Rights Organization, scores of state universities around the country, the American Medical Association and countless other non-profits whose payoffs are chronicled here. It is these non-profits which then influence our local politicians with the multi- million dollars provided to them by the pharmaceutical industry to ensure J & J profits continue by passage of smoking ban legislation. A smoking ban translates to a certain percentage of smokers quitting, who then increase J & J profits by purchasing Nicotrol, Nicoderm, Nicoderm CQ and related products.

We call on all participants, business owners, employees, customers, and all who believe in private property rights unencumbered by unfair corporate influence in our local governments and officials; to cease purchases of Johnson & Johnson products including, but not limited to Nicotrol, Nicoderm, Nicoderm CQ which are contract manufactured by ALZA corporation, a J & J company.

Secondhand smoke has never been proven to be harmful. Furthermore, St. Louis Park, MN. Environmental Health Department test results conducted in all its smoking establishments in 2003- 2004 proved secondhand smoke levels in bars & restaurants is 150 times lower (safer than) OSHA air quality requirements regarding secondhand smoke. 150 times safer.

We call for this boycott to continue until Robert Wood Johnson Foundation along with their cronies American Lung, ACS, AHA, AMA, etc. cease their unfair lobbying practices. And we call on RWJF along with Johnson & Johnson company to reimburse those in the hospitality industry whose businesses and lives were financially ruined due to passage of flawed legislation from their unfair and unethical business practices.