We're Just Eliminate Lies, thousands of Iowa youth dedicated to giving Iowa teens the true, unfiltered facts about Big Tobacco's lies, fighting against their constant attempts to addict us, and changing people's attitudes about tobacco use.

Why is JEL going after the tobacco companies?

Because they have been going after us for years. They need to addict us to their products so they can replace the 1,200 loyal customers their products killed today. These are not good ethical people here. Time and time again, they have deceived their customer-base and the public at large. And until they give everyone truthful and accurate information about their product - until they come clean, we'll be here to hose them, and give you the truth.

They put warning labels on tobacco products. Isn't that enough?

Maybe it's just us, but frankly, we don't think that "This product may be harmful to your health." is an adequate warning. That's like having a roman candle with a warning on it saying "This firework may be flamable." If tobacco companies would write - "This product, when used as directed, kills the consumer." or "This product kills 1 out of 3 people who use it." - maybe then we'd back off a little.

What "lies" are you trying to "eliminate"?

Well, where shall we start? First of all, the tobacco industry claims that nicotine is not addictive. However, from their own documents we learn that they knew as far back as the 1950s that it is as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Second, they claim that they do not market their products to kids. Um....ok. We're sure that's why they use young people with nose rings and tattoos in their ads. And we're sure that's why they put those ads in magazines like Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone. And we're also sure that's why they sponsor 98 Degrees and Britney Spears concerts and create candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes like "Twista Lime," "Mocha Mint" and "Midnight Berry." Those are all things that our parents totally dig. Third, they claim that secondhand smoke is not harmful or deadly. Unfortunately, secondhand smoke kills 53,000 non-smokers every year. Shall we continue?

Does JEL want to ban all smoking?

No, that's not our goal. First of all, we've learned from history that Prohibition doesn't work. Making tobacco illegal wouldn't help our cause much. However, we would like to see smoking banned from public places. Unfortunately, when people choose to smoke in public, they also inflict their decision on others, and we think everyone has the right to breathe clean air.

Does JEL hate all smokers?

Yes. We hate all smokers like we hate all furry puppies, baby seals and sunny days. C'mon now. JEL's all about the love. Smokers. Non-smokers. It doesn't matter. Free hugs for everyone.

Aren't there worse problems in society than smoking? Why does JEL just focus on smoking?

AIDS is a serious problem in our society. The media calls it an "epidemic". Roughly 17,000 people lose their lives to AIDS in the U.S. each year. Now, compare that to the over 400,000 people who will die of smoking-related causes this year alone. But do you hear the media calling smoking deaths an "epidemic"? The fact is, smoking kills more Americans every year than AIDS, car accidents, murders and suicides combined. Problem is, so few people realize the magnitude of this thing. Smoking is the #1 preventable death in the U.S. Sure, there is a lot of messed up stuff in our society, but we're focusing on this one, and we're not letting up until this battle is won.

Want to learn more about what the JEL Leadership is up to? Click here.