In case you haven't noticed, the Institution of Tobacco - from manufacturing, marketing, retail sales, and consumer consumption - is under heavy attack. Those leading the assault are numerous, well funded, and represent a variety of interests. Their ultimate goal is the elimination of tobacco.

Achieving that goal in one fell swoop, however, is neither practical nor possible. So winning small battles, here and there, over and over again, is just fine with these folks. Over time their successes add up.

Along the way, smokers and the industry at large have become entirely too complacent, loosing sight of the endless battles lost and the

These people are crafty: They'll cozy up to anyone -anyone -who might benefit in any way from tagging on to an anti-tobacco cause for their own particular reasons: Fixing budgets, saving education. It doesn't really matter: anyone who can benefit is a friend of Anti-tobacco.

Anyone delusional enough to think a Republican-controlled White House, Senate, House, or local Governorship would mean a "Get Out of the Crosshairs Free" card didn't anticipate the great budget collapses and the tremendous momentum of the now bi-partisan anti-smoking movement. Even the staunchest anti-tax politicians have had no problem raiding MSA funds and hiking excise taxes by absurd proportions to help fill budget gaps.

So where is the defense? A few years back, there were national smoker's rights groups attempting to represent the 33% of the nation's adult population that smokes. But in the brave new world of the MSA, it become politically incorrect for Big Tobacco to help defend smoker's rights: Now, there are actually expected to pay for programs and campaigns that further vilify the tobacco industry.

The industry's trade associations are now working overtime to try to combat the relentless waves of tax hikes, marketing and sales restrictions, and smoking restrictions. These groups need your membership, support, and participation. Many have gone to great lengths to bring their members timely information on threatening legislation and powerful tools to help lobby the appropriate government officials.

The Retail Tobacco Dealers of America (RTDA) has introduced a slew of web-based tools to its members. The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) has had a timely legislation alert system in place for over a year now, and provides its members with the nearly effortless ability to lobby legislators. It is now taking its cause to the consumers who patronize member retail shops to tap the votes and opinions of the nation's smokers directly, with the debut of the Stop Taxing our Products (STOP) program. The California Association of Retail Tobacconists (CART) has toiled endlessly to combat that state's voracious anti-tobacco forces. Yet, despite all of its successes last year, CART was disappointed by its meager membership renewals this year. Any California tobacco shop, wholesaler, distributor, or manufacturer who can't justify membership dues for a crucial trade group that's fighting for their existence might just as well give up now.

These trade groups can't do all of the work on your behalf: They've made it incredibly easy to help fight the battle, but at the end of the day each and every member of the industry must invest some of their own time, and urge their customers to do the same. Join every trade association you can to help fund their efforts, and then get with the program and follow their lead, and get you customers to do the same.

E. Edward "Ted" Hoyt III
Editor