Health Organizations Protest Camacho Sponsorship of Orange Bowl

Source from:  Cigar Aficionado 12/22/2011

Camacho Cigars is under fire for being a sponsor of the Orange Bowl, the New Year's Day football game that is among the oldest and most famous in college sports. The Orange Bowl and the NCAA have been asked to drop Camacho as a sponsor. The Pinellas Park, Florida, company, a unit of Switzerland's Davidoff of Geneva, is currently featured on the list of more than 50 partners for this year's event. Several health organizations, including some aimed at preventing childhood tobacco use, have sent an open letter to both the Orange Bowl Committee and the NCAA asking them to remove the sponsorship and cancel the three-year agreement. The organizations claim Camacho's sponsorship will be seen as an NCAA endorsement of smoking, and that children will associate the brand with role models in the collegiate athletics community. Under the agreement, Camacho would have a presence for the Orange Bowl at Sun Life stadium that would include smoking lounge areas open to fans during pre-game events. Currently, Camacho Cigars is among in a sponsor list that includes Stella Artois and Bacardi, two brands that produce adult beverages. Enditem