WAVERLY

Patrick Reynolds turned his back on the tobacco fortune his grandfather and father built to warn young people of the dangers of tobacco.

Patrick, grandson of R.J. Reynolds, founder of the tobacco company of the same name, spoke to about 1,000 middle school students Tuesday in two presentations at Wartburg College's Neumann Auditorium.

The students listened intently as Reynolds told the story of how his father died of emphysema caused by smoking.

Reynolds was 3 years old when his parents divorced, and he didn't see his father, R.J. Reynolds Jr., again until he was 9.

By then, his father was critically ill.

"My only memories of my father is of him lying there sick from smoking the Camels and Winstons that had made our family very wealthy," Patrick said.

R.J. Reynolds Jr. died when Patrick was 15. Patrick would eventually see his older brother succumb to a tobacco-related illness also. It was then that he said goodbye to the tobacco industry.

"They hid the dangers of tobacco for years and targeted kids," he said. "I have no association with the tobacco industry. I do this without the permission of R.J. Reynolds (tobacco company)."

Patrick spelled out the dangers of tobacco addiction for the students, citing research that shows 60 percent of smokers start smoking before age 14, and 90 percent of those who start are addicted by their 19th birthday.

Former surgeon general C. Everett Koop has called Patrick one of the nation's most influential advocates of a smoke-free America. Patrick has testified in Congress in favor of an end to all cigarette advertising and helped bring about the smoking ban on all United States domestic flights. He is founder of Tobaccofree.org, a nonprofit, charitable organization intent on creating a smoke-free America.

Patrick warned the crowd not to be fooled by the advertising ploys used by the tobacco industry, tactics that often target young people, Patrick said.

"Stores get money for every tobacco display they put up," he said. "Just remember this: Tobacco is the only legal product that when used as intended causes illness and death."

Iowa's anti-smoking campaign, Just Eliminate Lies, has been effective in reducing smoking among Iowa's youth. Although critics of the campaign have said JEL advertisements are too graphic in nature, Patrick applauded the program.

"The ads are very powerful with kids," he said. "I would urge them (JEL officials) to stand by their guns and not water it down."

Findings released by the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse early this month showed that in just two years, the number of new teen smokers in the country fell by a third.

"I attribute this to the tremendous amount of effort and funding that's gone into these programs. Programs educating our kids work," Patrick said.