Senegal: now you see it, now you don’t—PM’s April Fool’s joke on Clinton
- Federation des ONG et OCB Luttant Contre le Tabagisme (FLCT), c/o 103 Radcliffe Drive, Newark, Delaware 19711, USA; wumpworld@hotmail.com
When President Clinton arrived in Dakar, Senegal on 31 March 1998, on an exuberant tour to promote trade and goodwill in West Africa, he probably didn’t realise that another American icon had already beaten him to the sale.
The “Marlboro Man” had long since established himself as the number one American businessman in town (see Tobacco Control 1997;6:243–5). Months before Clinton’s arrival, Philip Morris had no qualms about cashing in on Senegalese youth’s fascination with the United States. “Come to Marlboro Country”, invited large billboards at every turn. “America, here I come!”, exclaimed a poster for L & M, Marlboro’s sister brand, sporting a trendy, young, white couple sharing a smoke beside a pay ’phone before they zip off to New York City on their shiny new …
