by Donald W. Garner

About the author: Donald W. Garner is a professor at the Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale.

When, in 1990, the improbably named Rev Calvin Butts led his Abyssinian Baptist congregation in a widely reported campaign to whitewash tobacco and alcohol billboards that litter the streets of Harlem, he inspired a national movement. As activists in other cities emulated his tactics, state and local politicians were prompted to take a fresh look at the long-standing problem of intrusive tobacco advertising.

Bold Action

Although Kentucky and Texas responded by passing laws requiring that tobacco billboards be kept a certain distance from schools and churches, the city of Baltimore, Md, was the first to take bold and decisive action. In 1994, it completely banned “publicly visible” cigarette and alcoholic beverage advertisements except...