Let me tell you a story about a young boy named Timmy. Timmy, at the young age of eight, was addicted to many severe drugs. When he woke up each morning, he'd start his day off right with a swig from a bottle of scotch he kept under his bed. What it is important to understand is that Timmy was in many ways like Bat Man. You see, Timmy was an orphan whose parents were taken from him by his arch nemesis, The Joker, or drugs. Your Death on Drugs Playing Cards are a testimony to this fact, as one of your cards reads, "This Joker was a smoker." But, like Bat Man, Timmy rose against all odds and defeated his enemy.

I met Timmy while doing volunteer work at an after school program for disadvantaged children. I soon took a liking to this youngster who, while at first glance seeming to be petty tyro, could rip bongs with the best of them. But he no longer has need for bong rips, thanks to your ingenious cards, which were the key to him overcoming his addiction. After teaching Timmy Texas Hold-em, the game caught on like wildfire and he was soon betting his lunch/drug money away against the other children. It is evident that Timmy's drug addiction was subverted by a severe gambling problem, which has, luckily, saved his life.

Timmy and children like him are being saved daily by the messages on your cards and T-shirts. More youth need the type of messages Timmy is receiving, and as a mentor to disadvantaged youths in center Pennsylvania, I can help spread those messages. If you could mail me some free sample playing cards and T-shirts, I would much appreciate it.

Sincerely,
Nick Kershbaumer
Health Educator
133 Simmons Hall
University Park, PA 16802

Dear Life or Death Playing Cards,

About 2 months ago I was in a store to purchase a pack of cigarettes when I saw your Death Cigarette Playing Cards. At first I thought this was a pack of cigarettes, so I picked them up to check them out. The scary information in this deck shocked the heck out of me. I purchased the pack of playing cards instead of my pack of smokes and now I keep the deck of Death Cigarette Playing Cards in my purse in the same spot my smokes used to be. Now when I go for my smokes, I pull out and read your deck of cards. I have tried many times over the years to quit smoking without success. Because of these tobacco education playing cards taking the place of my smokes, I have kicked this nasty smoking habit and feel great! Thank you so much for producing such a strong tool to help people to stop smoking. I owe you much gratitude and maybe my life to your product.

Sincere Best Regards,
Linda Katz
Santa Maria California

Dear Death Playing Cards,

Let me congratulate you on your Death Playing Cards. I first purchased your cards through TECC, the Tobacco Education Clearinghouse of California. When my order arrived I knew that this product was special. I've wanted to write you a letter since I first used the cards over a year ago.

The Death Playing Cards are exemplary in the field of education and prevention for many reasons , but the most important are that the artwork and the message to kids are the most effective that I've seen. The image of Death is a powerful one, and the many macabre images hold the attention of all that view these cards. The statistics are accurate and the messages are clear. Anyone playing with these cards has no choice but to learn about the dangers of tobacco use.

As the health education specialist running the Multi-Cultural Youth Initiative Against Tobacco, I review every educational product on the market. I bring numerous educational products to give out as prizes in high school health and safety classrooms, receiving home schools, court schools, correctional facilities, community youth organizations and lock-down learning academies, and I have never had a response as powerful as that from the youth with your Death Cards. Usually most hand-outs, and sometimes even prizes, end up on the floor; not the Death Cards. Youth love these cards! I have given out more than two hundred packs of these cards and the kids want more. I've learned to give out the cards about fifteen minutes before the end of class, let the students look through the deck, and then discuss the facts and statistics. I've asked questions about Death Card facts and stats for weeks after passing out the packs. Death Cards are an excellent educational tool for youth of all ages.

Thank you for a fine educational product that expertly communicates pertinent information with the high-risk youth population. If possible, I would love a sample deck of your new Death on Drugs Playing Cards. Keep up the good work, and I'll be watching my mail closely...

Yours truly,
Brian J. McDaniel
The Bay Area Urban League, Inc.
430 Peninsula Avenue, Suite 3
San Mateo, CA 94401
Phone : (415) 343-6020
Fax : (415) 343-1864

To Whom it may concern:

I was pleased to receive my latest order of Death Playing Cards, (or 52 Reasons to Not Smoke Cigarettes). We have found them very helpful in terms of getting the attention of both smokers and non-smokers alike.

For example, we've included a pack in each Smoker's Survival Kit that we provide to teenagers in the local high-schools who are trying to quit. The teens may not read the educational brochures or follow the suggestions in the quit guide, but they can't resist playing with the cards, and thereby getting the message about tobacco use in spite of themselves.

We've also found them to be a great hit when we've sold them from our health education booth at local fairs and events. Parents buy them to give to their smoking children (or vice versa), spouses for each other, employees for their boss, and both smoking and non-smoking card players to take to their next poker or bridge game where smoke is an issue, or where they want to make it an issue.

As a health educator, I find that the cards provide just the right mix of education with humor, seriousness with irreverence, information that smokers need to know in a mode they may actually be able to absorb--and are practical. Nobody's going to throw away a deck of cards, even with a death's head staring at them from it. How may other health education tools can we say that of?

Thanks for your contribution to the science of behavior change!

Sincerely,
Sue Severin, MPH
Health Educator
Tobacco Education Program
Marin County Health and Human Services
1682 Navoto Boulevard, Suite 150-C
Novato, CA 94947
(415) 899-8638

Death Playing Cards,

ANSR has purchased the Death Cigarette Playing Cards from you for three or four years. We have sold them through our small mail-order business. They have been a big success at our booth at the Minnesota State Fair, where people can actually look them over.

We've found that many people want to give them to those special persons-- spouses, parents, girl friends or boy friends--whom they love and want to protect from the ravages of tobacco-related disease. As your display carton says, they want to "Help Save Someone's Life." The price is quite reasonable and allows us a 100% markup--something few products do.

I wish you good luck in your endeavors to get the health message across through Death Playing Cards.