MUSICWEST SAYS NO TO SMOKES
By Adnews Staff
MusicWest of Vancouver has spurned tobacco advertising and hitched up with the anti-smoking lobby. A Kick Butt campaign will be part of the annual new-music festival scheduled to run May 2-5 this year. The concert's promoters said no to about $50,000 in tobacco money, electing instead to go with the less lucrative sponsorship of four anti-tobacco groups: B.C. Medical Association, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Lung Association and Canadian Cancer Society. The goal of the campaign is to give people as much information as possible about tobacco to allow them to make informed decisions about smoking, MusicWest co-director Maureen Jack told Adnews last week. The theme of this year's festival is to find something you believe in and get active about it, she said. "So we felt it was time to take a stand (on tobacco)". There will be Kick Butt information booths and speakers at the conference. Advertising for the event begins this week on radio and in print. It was created in-house. MusicWest is an annual showcase for unsigned, independent bands.