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Introduction - Patrick Reynolds

Introduction

Excerpts from "The Truth About Tobacco,"

Patrick Reynolds' anti-smoking assembly program for grades 7-12

I want to begin today with a little story. My parents were divorced when I was three, and for six long years, I didn’t see my Dad. Now a boy needs his Dad to come to the football game and say, "You played well, son. I’m proud of you -- you’re my boy!" He needs his Dad’s hugs, encouragement, guidance and love. I didn’t have that, and it was hard for me.

For six years, I really missed him. When I was nine, I got the idea to write him a letter. It said, "Dear Dad -- I want to meet you. Where are you?" He was traveling at the time, and amazingly, my little letter was forwarded seven times from city to city. By a miracle, it got into his hands, and he sent for me. I remember the day I first got word he wanted to meet me, and I was jumping up and down with joy.

When the big day came at last, and they showed me into the room where he was, I was saddened to find my Dad lying down, on his back, gasping for breath. He was dying from emphysema, caused by smoking the cigarettes that made our family wealthy. I only got to see him on five visits after that, and every time, he was increasingly sick and frail, and counting the time he had left to live.

My Dad died from smoking when I was 15. That’s largely why I chose to turn my back on my family’s former tobacco business, and why I’m devoting my life to the anti-smoking cause, and to educating our young people about cigarettes and smoking. That’s why I founded Tobaccofree.Org and the Foundation for a Smokefree America.

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