Jack in the Box Snubs Corporate Responsibility

For those of you who have been following my ongoing concern that Jack in the Box continues to promote itself as the stoners' drive-thru restaurant of choice, I recently received an update from someone involved in the campaign to get the company to be more responsible in its advertising. The letter is reprinted here with permission:

Hello, Ms. Weinreich.We, Health Advocates Rejecting Marijuana, wanted to follow up on your Spare Change blog regarding what has become our ongoing saga of San Diego-based fast-food chain, Jack in the Box and its refusal to address our concerns about a nation-wide commercial depicting a young man stoned at the wheel and making public a more socially responsible advertising policy.On March 22, HARM, a San Diego County-wide collaborative of public health preventionists, parents, educators, students, and law enforcement agencies, did approach the corporation with more than 2,000 personally-addressed postcards to no avail. They issued a statement that didn't address our concerns-- same as ignoring us, basically. We are re-strategizing for a new "Jack Attack" plan that includes a letter to the editor in our San Diego County paper, individual personal visits to the corporate headquarters where we leave our business cards, and more follow up with their Board of Directors. It's a moot point that the commercial is now longer airing because their ad time expired.We would still like to partner with Jack in the Box to develop, adopt, and make public a more socially responsible policy guiding future nationwide advertising decisions that will not target our youth with messages that trivialize drug use, nor glamorize drug use as humorous and entertaining. Our collective goal is to reduce the problems associated with the use of marijuana, especially by youth, by changing community norms and perception of its harm.Victoria CarlborgMedia Co-ChairHealth Advocates Rejecting Marijuana (HARM)760-407-1220, Ext. 143

Jack in the Box management has not shown any interest in listening to the concerns of the health and public safety organizations represented by HARM. If you agree with me that a commercial depicting someone driving while stoned is socially irresponsible, please send a message to Jack in the Box via the online comment form or call the CEO, Linda Lang, at (858) 571-2121 to urge the management and Board of Directors to at least meet with the organizations represented by HARM to hear their concerns. This issue is much larger than San Diego County, and perhaps some national pressure will make a difference. Please help me spread the word via email and blogs to get Jack in the Box to take some responsibility for the effects of its advertising.

Photo Credit: Roadsidepictures

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