Did you know that many of Utah's colleges and universities accept money and advertise for US Smokeless Tobacco?
Sign this petition to put your name to this cause. Kids under 13 - Go Get Your Parents Permission!
These colleges and universities include: Southern Utah University, Weber State University, Dixie College, Salt Lake Community College, Utah State University, Utah Valley State University and Utah State University Uintah Basin. Every college or university with a rodeo program is part of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) whose major sponsor is US Smokeless Tobacco (UST). As part of this sponsorship, UST pays out scholarship money to athletes that win at the local, regional, and national levels. In return colleges and universities display UST banners and advertisements at rodeos. If a school has a policy against accepting tobacco sponsorships and advertising, the NIRA does not require these programs to promote the UST sponsorship. However, many of these programs continue to promote smokeless tobacco. Most of these schools may never even see scholarship money in return unless they have a winning program. As bans on smoking increase, smokeless tobacco companies continue to promote their products as a safer alternative to smoking and market their products more aggressively to youth and adults. By signing this petition you are asking each of these universities and colleges to take a stand against the tobacco industry by not accepting tobacco money and not allowing US Smokeless Tobacco to advertise their products at rodeos in an effort to protect Utah youth.