The Trinkets & Trash Collection - About Us

Trinkets and Trash (T&T) is a surveillance system and archive that monitors, collects, and documents current and historic tobacco products and tobacco industry marketing materials and tactics (such as advertisements, direct mailings, e-mails, sweepstakes, coupon promotions, and brand websites) for research and educational purposes. Visitors to T&T’s website (trinketsandtrash.org) can search for, read descriptions of and capture images of these items for educational use. Special online visual exhibits and features provide background information about specific tobacco topics, products and marketing tactics. In addition, T&T’s monthly Surveillance Updates describe and link readers to images of the latest tobacco industry products and marketing. Our Twitter profile ( @trinketsantrash ) provides followers with real time updates on tobacco marketing news and new additions to the collection. Additional detailed content information about many collection items
is also maintained in offline databases as part of ongoing surveillance and research activities.

Overall, Trinkets & Trash aims to document and illustrate tobacco industry products, tactics & target markets over time in
order to:

• Provide a historical record and serve as a source for scholarly research
• Serve as a tool for advocacy
• Educate youth and the general public
• Be available for display  

History
Trinkets & Trash began as the personal collection of Dr. John Slade, a noted anti-tobacco crusader who spoke out vigorously about tobacco advertising and whose knack for collecting tobacco promotional items (from T-shirts to model cars) led to the creation of one of the largest repositories of its kind (which he dubbed, "Trinkets & Trash").

Following Dr. Slade’s untimely passing in January of 2002, Dr. M. Jane Lewis, a friend and colleague
of Dr. Slade’s at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey – School of Public Health (now the Rutgers School of Public Health), became principal investigator of the Trinkets & Trash project. The T&T collection was reorganized, with new items added to the collection and the website, and a system for adding explanatory content to images and documenting and collecting new acquisitions developed.

 

M. Jane Lewis, DrPH, MA
Under Dr. Lewis, Trinkets &Trash is continuing the vision of Dr. Slade to serve as a “virtual” watchdog for tobacco industry marketing practices. Dr. Lewis is an Associate Professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and has over 30 years of experience in tobacco and cancer control research. Dr. Lewis can frequently be found at professional meetings giving presentations about tobacco marketing and has particular research interests in “under the radar” marketing methods and materials used by tobacco companies (e.g., direct mail, e-mail, brand websites).

 

 

Publications

The following include tobacco marketing related publications by Trinkets & Trash personnel and colleagues.

Wackowski OA, Lewis MJ, Delnevo CD. Qualitative analysis of Camel Snus' website message board - users' product perceptions, insights and online interactions. Tobacco Control, 20(2):e1, 2010.

Cortese DK, Lewis MJ, Ling PM. Tobacco industry lifestyle magazines targeted to young adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45 (3): 268-80, 2009.

Wackowski O & Lewis MJ. Camel Snus plays up Swedish heritage. Tobacco Control, 17(3):148, 2008. (News analysis)

Wackowski O. & Lewis MJ. USA: Continued promotion of “green” brand. Tobacco Control, 17(6): 370, 2008. (News analysis)

Lewis MJ & Wackowski O. USA: Kool’s “Be True” funding. Tobacco Control, 15(6): 420-421, 2006. (News analysis)

Lewis MJ & Wackowski O. USA: Salem’s New Look Website. Tobacco Control, 15(2):81-82, 2006. (News analysis)

Lewis MJ & Wackowski O. Dealing with an innovative industry: A look at flavored cigarettes promoted by mainstream brands. American Journal of Public Health, 96(2): 244-251, 2006.

Lewis MJ, Yulis SG, Delnevo CD, Hrywna M. Tobacco industry direct marketing after the MSA. Health Promotion Practice, Vol. 5 (3 Suppl): 75S-83S, 2004.

Lewis MJ, Delnevo CD, Slade J. Tobacco industry direct mail marketing and participation by New Jersey adults. American Journal of Public Health, 94(2): 257-250, 2004.

Delnevo CD, Hrywna M, Lewis MJ and Yulis S. Voodoo cigarillo: Bidis in disguise? Tobacco Control, 12(1): 109-110, 2003. (Letter to the editor)

Slade, J. Marketing Policies. In R.L. Rabin, and S.D., Sugarman, (Eds.), Regulating Tobacco (pp.72-110). New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.