Prevention Matters

Two major rental car companies’ decision to ban smoking in their vehicles was named Partnership for Prevention's "Best Prevention Idea of the Week," while an industry-supported food labeling program that says Froot Loops are good for you was named “Worst Prevention Idea of the Week.”

The Best/Worst Idea awards are a regular feature of Prevention Matters, the blog of Partnership for Prevention. Each week, Partnership for Prevention's staff will choose the designees based on nominations of items in the previous week's news submitted by members, staff and the public at large. To submit a nomination or for more information, contact Damon Thompson at dthompson@prevent.org.


BEST

Avis, Budget to Ban Smoking in Rental Cars
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/shopping_blog/2009/09/avis-budget-smokefree-cars.html

Starting Oct. 1, vehicles rented from Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent A Car in the United States and Canada will be smoke-free under a new company policy that prohibits smoking in its rental vehicles.


WORST

“Smart Choices” Campaign Says Froot Loops Are Good for You
http://consumerist.com/5355897/foods-that-are-bad-for-you-now-good-for-you

The “Smart Choices campaign,” an industry-supported healthy foods labeling program, generously designates foods like Froot Loops, Fruit Roll-Ups, mayonnaise, and Cocoa Puffs as good for you. "These are horrible choices," says Walter C. Willett, the head of the nutrition department at Harvard School of Public Health.