Coming between cowboys and chew
12/30/2004 Ken Carlson The Modesto Bee (modbee.com) Health agency out to get Oakdale Rodeo to sever ties with maker of snuff A campaign backed by the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency is trying to buck a tobacco company's sponsorship of the Oakdale Rodeo. And since the Oakdale Saddle Club, which puts on the rodeo every April, so far has refused to cut ties with the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co., the Health Services Agency plans another tack: a billboard due to go up next week along Highway 108 between Riverbank and Oak-dale. The message: "Don't let spit tobacco stain our rodeo." "Spit tobacco" is smokeless tobacco, such as Copenhagen and Skoal, two of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco's products. The company is the leading producer of brand-name smokeless tobacco, also called chew and snuff. The Buck Tobacco Sponsorship campaign is targeting rodeos in Stanislaus, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and San Diego counties. Campaign officials said rodeos are family events where cancer-causing products, such as tobacco, should not be promoted. Michael Wagner, an Oakdale Saddle Club board member who oversees sponsorships, said he has talked with Buck Tobacco campaign officials for several months. As of now, the club has no intention of ending its relationship with U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, he said. But, he added, the club will ensure that the smokeless tobacco sampling tent at 2005's rodeo will be nowhere near concessions that attract youngsters. "We want to work with them, as best we can, so we can retain the benefits of [...]